In case you didn't see this coming, Escape the Fate announced today that they're going into the studio to record a new album, and someone has secured the spot as their new singer.


The follow-up to the Ronnie Radke-led Dying Is Your Latest Fashion will find Craig Mabbit, formerly of Blessthefall, stepping into Radke's shoes. The band will also get a hand from producer/songwriter John Feldman (The Used, Story of the Year).

"I'm excited to have the opportunity to continue making music with a group of amazing people," said Mabbit, who played a handful of recent shows with Escape the Fate, including their set at Bamboozle Left. "I'm loving what's coming out of us in the studio right now and things couldn't be going better.  Escape the Fate is taking over the world, so buckle your seat belts, 'cause we're here to stay."

All the drama-rama is totally gonna work as inspiration for this album, I take it.

Bassist Max Green added: "We've been through a lot of sh-- this last year, and we took all that anger, frustration and sadness and molded it into an album with huge rock choruses, in-your-face riffs and melodies, and drums that will give your parents a heart attack. This new album isn't going to be a hardcore metal album, and it's not going to be a soft melodic album. We are who we are: We are Escape the Fate."

As it just so happens, Blessthefall caught up with Buzznet when Taste of Chaos, which the band was a part of, hit Long Beach, California, last month. Fans are well aware of the Blessthefall/Escape switcheroo that saw Radke in turn performing a song with Blessthefall at the Taste of Chaos tour's stop in Las Vegas.

"Ronnie came up to us at one of our shows and asked us if it was cool. It's his hometown, and kids know him, so we were into it," Eric Lambert said.

But when asked if Blessthefall had found a permanent replacement yet, Lambert admitted they hadn't. "We have some solid choices, but we're not making it our focus right now, since we're touring and all," he said.

Lisa Huey of Dingsomething.com caught some of Radke's Vegas cameo on film. His emergence caused a tizzy in both the ETF and Blessthefall communites, inspiring speculation about the future of both bands. Voices from the Buzznet community largely concluded that although they'd like to see Radke performing again, they'd prefer it be with ETF — after he serves his sentence of five years probation for the involvement in the death of Michael Cook (the result of a brawl that took place in May '07).

Now that Escape the Fate's new lineup is for rizzle set in stone, how does this make you feel? Still gonna dwell on the lack of Radke, or are you gonna open your cold little hearts to see what this team can create?