Job for a Cowboy Have High Hopes for ‘Ruination’

Job for a Cowboy's 2007 debut album, 'Genesis,' debuted at No. 54 on The Billboard 200 album chart. So, the band's label, Metal Blade, and publicist are expecting to best that with 'Ruination,' due in stores July 7.

"We were shocked to get to 54," singer Jonny Davy said during an interview with Noisecreep. "When I first got that phone call, it was mind blowing. I never thought I'd have a record in the top 100 of Billboard."

"Top 25 would be pretty intense," added guitarist Bobby Thompson. "We never really thought about record sales or anything. We just want to put out good albums."

Sitting in a Phoenix restaurant, Davy and Thompson described 'Ruination' as "more in your face" than 'Genesis.'

"It's a lot more aggressive," Thompson said. "I think it's also a lot more mature. In comparison to the last album, I think it shows a great deal of progression as a band. We've all grown up personally, and as musicians, we've all been trying to get to a new level. So I think that it illustrates that pretty well."

Thompson partially chalks up the new sound on 'Ruination' -- which was recorded at Audio Hammer Productions in Sanford, Fla., with producer Jason Suecof -- to recently recruited guitarist Al Glassman and drummer Jon "The Charn" Rice, who has toured with Job for a Cowboy since the release of 'Genesis.'

"(Al) has more of a grindy background," Thompson said. "He kind of brought more of a grind influence to our band, the more technical sound. As far as the writing goes, this is the first one we've written with our current drummer. That made a huge difference. He's a really creative drummer and pretty much can do anything we need him to do. He really took the record to a new level."

On Suecof's side, he encouraged the band--which also includes bassist Brent Riggs -- to reach beyond its comfort zone for 'Ruination.'

"Guitar-wise, he taught us just to experiment with a lot of different things, instead of using the same types of harmonies and things that we usually use," said Thompson, whose band will tour with the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, headlined by Slayer and Marilyn Manson, this summer. "We were open to trying anything really."

Davy added, "We never really had a producer before. So it's almost like having a sixth member of the band adding input and ideas. He helped a lot."