Death metal pioneers Obituary have announced plans for their latest album. The Kickstarter-funded effort will be released as part of their new deal with Relapse Records. The release date, album title and track listing will all be revealed at a later date.

The band recorded their ninth studio album at their own RedNeck Studio in Gibsonton, Fla. Speaking about the direction of the new material, they state, "We don't know how to explain it, but we really hit the 'metal nail' on the head with this album. We have been writing and working on the new material for nearly three years now and we could not be more excited how these songs have all turned out.  All the stars seem to have aligned for us and this release, with the songs, production and overall feel of this record, the band is more solid than ever."

Obituary have undergone some lineup changes since their last album, 2009's 'Darkest Day.' Bassist Frank Watkins and guitarist Ralph Santolla have departed, replaced by Terry Butler (Death) and Kenny Andrews. Founding members John Tardy (vocals), Donald Tardy (drums) and Trevor Peres (guitar) remain.

The band also spoke about the successful crowd funding campaign for the new album, which generated six times their goal: "We always knew that our fans were some of the most devoted fans on the planet and they proved it by stepping up, being a part of something new and supporting us with our KickStarter campaign."

The band continues, "This was an amazing display of true fan support and we could not be more proud of everyone who helped raise the money to record this album by pre-ordering it, buying all the cool stuff we offered and just being a part of something that we believe will be the way of the future."

Obituary are currently on tour in Europe playing shows and festivals. The first leg wraps up June 15, and they head back for more dates there starting July 12. For a complete list of shows, go here.

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