HELLYEAH Taps OZZY/FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH Producer KEVIN CHURKO For Next Album

The metal juggernaut known as HELLYEAH — featuring Vinnie Paul Abbott (PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN),Chad Gray and Greg Tribbett (MUDVAYNE),Tom Maxwell (NOTHINGFACE) and Bob "Zilla" Kakaha (DAMAGEPLAN) — has tapped producer Kevin Churko to helm the band's fourth studio album, tentatively due in early 2014. Churko is the Canadian musician, sound engineer, songwriter and record producer who has previously worked with OZZY OSBOURNE, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH and IN THIS MOMENT, among other acts.

The recording sessions for the new HELLYEAH CD will take place this fall at Churko's The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas, Nevada.

HELLYEAH's first three albums were laid down in Dallas, Texas at Vinnie Paul Abbott's home studio, VP's Upstairs Studio.

Speaking to the 93X radio station at this year's Rock Fest in Cadott, Wisconsin, Vinnie Paul stated about HELLYEAH's plans for the next CD: "We've done the past three HELLYEAH records [at my home studio in Dallas], but this [next] record, we really wanna go to another level with our music, and we're working with Kevin Churko, who's produced Ozzy and FIVE FINGER and IN THIS MOMENT and all that. We're actually recording that in Vegas right down the street from my house in Vegas, so it's almost gonna be as convenient as doing the Texas one."

He added: "We're already writing [material for the next album]. This tour [Gigantour] goes until August 20 and as soon as we're done, we go right into the studio with Kevin and we should have a record out probably early next year."

HELLYEAH is taking part in this year's edition of Gigantour, the critically acclaimed package festival founded in 2005 by MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine. Also appearing on the bill are headliners MEGADETH, along with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, DEVICE, NEWSTED and DEATH DIVISION.

HELLYEAH's third album, "Band Of Brothers", sold 19,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 19 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Released on July 17, 2012 via HELLYEAH's new label home, Eleven Seven Music, "Band Of Brothers" was produced by the band and Jeremy Parker (GODSMACK, EVANESCENCE),who also served as engineer. Gray told The Pulse Of Radio that the album represents the first time that the members of the band have fully embraced their musical roots. "It's definitely my favorite HELLYEAH record to date, for sure," he said. "I think the first couple were kind of experiments and stuff, and I think we kind of kept what we've done individually away from HELLYEAH, with our, you know, previous bands and stuff, and this time it was like we just kind of said, 'Screw it,' we just kind of quit being afraid to be ourselves. I'm really, really proud of it, I think we all are."

The band has stated that "Band Of Brothers" is a heavier, more metal-sounding effort that either its self-titled 2007 debut or 2010's "Stampede".