Cold Return With ‘Evolved Sound’ on New Record

If Cold's new album isn't melancholy, then what is it? "We named the album 'Epic.' We tried to get away from a lot of the things we wrote about in the past. More emotional, slower-paced songs. I went back to when I was a kid and I just wrote stories," Scooter Ward explains to Noisecreep.

Ward sings for Cold and also his side project, the Killer and the Star. In both bands, Ward writes the majority of the lyrics, drawing from personal experience, fantasy and yes, his age. "I think throughout our lives, people are always going to change, your emotions are going to change, the person you become. I'm definitely not the same man I was when I was 22 writing all the songs off the first couple of records. I'm 40 years old now so that's a huge gap."

During that so-called huge gap, the guys in Cold grew up and started families. While Ward says the early days were great fun, the band was sort of directionless, just going out 'to play music.' Without any real ties or responsibilities, the band stayed on the road with no desire to return home. Now, everything is different, including Cold's sound.

"When I was growing up, the best songs to me were the sadder songs, the more emotional things going on. I think that translates through us always within the musicianship of the band. The songs will have those kind of [musical] tones, although the lyrics on this record really don't have those kind of tones anymore. Even on the last record with Cold, I think the lyrics were more uplifting than downtrodden. On this record, we kind of just branched into a whole other thing."

The 'thing' Ward refers to is a more intelligent vibe that allows you to read more into each song than just what the lyrics present. While 'Epic' is the band's main focus, they will also release an album of acoustic tracks and B-sides. The band will record acoustic versions of all their previously released singles. Look for the acoustic album toward the fall or winter months of 2010.