Forming in 2004 with a lineup featuring musicians from bands like Evanescence, Sevendust, and Stereomud, Dark New Day came storming out of the gates with Twelve Year Silence, their 2005 debut album.

Touring with like-minded melodic rockers like Chevelle, Seether, and Crossfade, the band found a loyal following with its hard-charging guitars and big vocal hooks. After releasing an EP entitled The Black Porch Acoustic Sessions, Dark New Day recorded a second album for Warner Bros. Records, but after some behind-the-scenes setbacks at the label, the record remained shelved.

After some time away, Dark New Day regrouped in 2011 and compiled 11 tracks for a special album to be released as a "thank you" to their loyal fans. Later in the year, the group was contacted by Goomba Music who offered them a venue to release the material as New Tradition, Dark New Day's sophomore album.

With the record now in stores, guitarist Troy McLawhorn, drummer Will Hunt and vocalist Brett Hestla, have carved some time out to take part in Noisecreep's ongoing 'Five Albums That Changed My Life' series.

From guitarist Troy McLawhorn:

IV (ZOSO), Led Zeppelin (1971)

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"This album blew me away when I was a kid. I first heard of Led Zeppelin from my cousins when we were on family vacation at the beach one year. One of them was wearing a Zep t-shirt and I asked them what a Led Zeppelin was. They told me it was a band and then I asked them what a band was, haha. A few years later, I ordered 10 records for a penny from Columbia House and ZOSO was one of the records. I was teaching myself how to play guitar around that time and I spent countless hours trying to learn "Black Dog," "Stairway to Heaven" and "Rock and Roll." It wasn't the beginning of my love for music, but it was the album that jump-started my love for guitar. After learning a few Zeppelin songs things would never be the same again."

From drummer Will Hunt:

Shout at the Devil, Mötley Crüe (1983)

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"I will never forget the night I discovered Mötley Crüe: Christmas night, 1983, 7:30pm. Michael Jackson's full length "Thriller" video was the hottest thing on earth, and MTV was playing it on a schedule, every few hours on the hour. Me and my Dad sat down that night to catch it and thought it was cool...then...shit got real. Immediately after it finished, the bombastic drum beat and crunching guitar of the "Looks That Kill" video started. When I saw Tommy Lee, my life was changed FOREVER!!!! I was already playing drums, but at that moment, I decided and knew without a doubt what path my life would take. With songs like "Bastard," "Red Hot" (which at the time set the bar for kick ass double kick beats), and "Knock 'Em Dead Kid," they were the first band, in my opinion, who's sound matched their look. From the flat black pentagram cover, to the double gatefold inside cover photos of the guys in these ridiculously bad ass costumes, to the video, these guys had and did it all. If there's ever been a completely perfect album from songs to packaging to all out vibe, this would be it. The next time anything like this happened would be Slipknot. But Mötley did it first!"

Facelift, Alice in Chains (1990)

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"This record was a perfect blending of "heavy" and "melody" that changed what heavy music would be defined as and thought of. The intro riff of "We Die Young" (which unfortunately lyrically was somewhat prophetic) was the heaviest, evilest, meanest thing I had ever heard. And when Layne Staley started to sing, it really drove home that the sound these guys were creating was something very tangible and real--they were living this shit, it wasn't an act. "Love Hate Love" is a pummeling sludge-fest of beauty, tension, and release, whether you were on dope or not, this song made your skin crawl. I think "Man in the Box" was a defining song for my generation and this album was a soundtrack for the times. One word: SICK!!"

From singer Brett Hestla:

Siamese Dream, Smashing Pumpkins (1993)

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"I love that record, because it encompasses an entire emotional galaxy. The production of the record brings guitar overload to a new level. I love Billy Corgan's delivery vocally as well. He involves so many emotional movements that it's impossible to get tired of the song. Definitely a desert island companion."

Purple, Stone Temple Pilots (1994)

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"This record is melodic roller coaster. Every musician is on a journey and stringing together a beautiful chain of emotion that entwines to give you a virtual fabric made of music. Lyrically and melodically, it cements Scott Weiland into my mind as an icon to last forever."

Dark New Day's New Tradition is available now via Goomba Music. Pick up a copy at this link.

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