Memphis rockers Saliva return August 17th with their fourth album, Survival of the Sickest, a record singer Josey Scott describes as "an American rock & roll ass-whuppin." The quintet recorded the record in their hometown with producer Paul Ebersold (3 Doors Down, Spacehog).

The band wrote almost twenty songs for the album, which will be whittled down to about a dozen on the final version. Scott says narrowing the field down has been arguably the toughest part of the recording process for the group. "It's like having a bunch of kids and then telling six to eight of them that they have to stay home while we take the other ones out for vacation."

Among the tracks that have earned a spot on Survival of the Sickest, fans will find an obvious motif: rock & roll. The disc kicks off with "Rock 'n' Roll Revolution," a track that Scott says both sets the tone musically for the album and, in his words, "body-checks" some folks."

"It airs out some of our demons and calls some people out that have rubbed us the wrong way, like the Strokes and the Vines, all the 'The' bands that were supposed to be such the next big thing," Scott says. "Part of the lyrics are, 'You music business whores threw your shit against the wall and it didn't stick. You seem to be surprised.' We've had to hold our tongues the last two albums and this album we're saying honestly how we feel. We don't wish anybody any ill will, but if some feelings get hurt, well rock & roll ain't always pretty, is it?"

Another favorite of Scott's on the album is the band's ode to the Eighties, "Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll." "It's sort of a throwback to the Eighties and we tip our hats to bands like AC/DC, Kiss, and stuff we grew up listening to. And then later on in life bands like Motley Crue, Def Leppard and Poison. Shit that all of us know rocks, but some of us are afraid to admit it," Scott says laughing.

The band kicks off a series of dates in late June, but Scott says once the group gets into touring mode, they'll be full-speed ahead for most of 2004. "I can't wait to play these songs," he says. "We've always prided ourselves on the live show."