Die Bay-Area-Thrash-Titanen werden ihr achtes Album, "Bloodstone & Diamonds", in diesem Herbst über Nuclear Blast Entertainment veröffentlichen.

Die Scheibe wurde erneut von Robb Flynn selbst sowie Juan Urteaga (Testament, Vile) produziert. Wie bei sieben von den insgesamt acht Alben, kümmerte sich auch dieses Mal Colin Richardson(Carcass, Slipknot) um den meisterhaften Mix. Weitere Aufnahmen, Edits und Mixes wurden mit Heavy-Metal-Legende Andy Sneap und Steve Lagudi vorgenommen.

“I cannot even begin to tell you how proud we are of this album”, kommentiert Frontman Robb Flynn. “It's been a heck of a ride. It looked like it might not ever happen again at one point, but man, this album is a milestone for us. You're going to love it, Head Cases.” “Without getting too philosophical on ya, bloodstone and diamonds represent two of the hardest materials on earth, it is also a lyric from the opening track of the album ‘Now We Die’. In many cultures the bloodstone has been used as an amulet to protect against evil, and is the symbol of justice. Diamonds and are hardest natural material on earth (which is how we feel about our music), and it also represents the diamond logo I drew 22 years ago (in my wife's apartment on Dover St. in Oakland) that has become the symbol for the band.”

01. Now We Die
02. Killers & Kings
03. Ghosts Will Haunt My Bones
04. Night Of Long Knives
05. Sail Into The Black
06. Eyes Of The Dead
07. Beneath The Silt
08. In Comes The Flood
09. Damage Inside
10. Game Over
11. Imaginal Cells (instrumental)
12. Take Me Through The Fire

Flynnweiter:
“10 songs, an interlude, and an instrumental with an audio collage of spoken word snippets (think ‘Real Eyes, Realize, Real Lies’) by Dr. Bruce Lipton and Steve Bhaerman, taken from their (incredibly inspiring) audiobook Spontaneous Evolution.”

“Guest musicians include 2 different string quartets featuring the original Quartet Rouge that appeared on our last album »Unto The Locust«. And a new all-male quartet which we featured on the song ‘In Comes The Flood’.”“String arrangements for 2 of the songs ‘Now We Die’ and ‘Sail Into The Black’ came courtesy of myself and Rhys Fulber who has worked with everyone from Sarah McLachlan, to Fear factory, and the string arrangement for ‘In Comes The Flood’ came courtesy of myself and ex-Worship and current-Bring me the horizon keyboardist Jordan Fish, who is a producer in his own right.”

“We worked with several artists to complete the 28 page (!) ‘standard’ CD booklet, as well as the 48 page (!) hardcover leather-bound Media-book that will serve as the special edition, including Rafal Wechterowicz, Marcelo Vasco, and long-time MACHINE HEAD art-collaborator Strephon Taylor. The theme was to have both CD and hardcover Mediabook look like an old Alchemy book from the 1800's, with weathered edges, sepia toned pages, and magic / masonic / alchemy themed woodcarvings throughout.”