Follow the pages of Dead Poetic’s timeline back through history and you’ll notice a trend. Though their impressive chronicles have taken them from mere obscurity to a successful touring group, and eventually a powerful headliner, it seems their defining moments occur in two-year intervals. It’s at those times specifically when the band have experienced breakout junctures that catapult them to the next level, challenging both the band itself, and their fans alike.

With a pattern that began with the release of 2002’s explosive debut “Four Wall Blackmail,” which launched them into the public eye, their 2004 release, “New Medicines,” only upped the ante. “New Medicines” obliterated all doubts of Dead Poetic’s capabilities, and placed them on a short list of bands that were able to not only avoid the sophomore slump, but instead surpass their listeners’ expectations with its release.

Welcome to 2006. For a band that seems to undergo constant alterations, change is almost inevitable, and this year is no exception. After modifying three members to the formula, founders Brandon Rike and Zach Miles have formed a super-group of sorts including Dusty Redmon (formerly of Beloved), Jesse Sprinkle (formerly of Poor Old Lu and Demon Hunter) and John Brehm (formerly of Monday In London and Beloved).

“The band is so much stronger after these changes. We’re a unit now,” explains lead vocalist Brandon Rike. “It just feels right. It feels like we’ve all found the outlet for the music we’ve all wanted to create.”

That music will come to fruition later this year in their third full-length album produced by Aaron Sprinkle (Anberlin, MxPx, Pedro the Lion). Not ones to steer away from words like “grunge” and “alternative,” their 90’s rock-inspired style is much more rock and roll than their previous efforts. “It’s heavier with better melodies,” Rike expands. “We want to pay homage to the rock bands of the nineties that made us love music. Our new sound will be welcomed by those who appreciated the melody of ‘New Medicines,’ and those who liked the rawness of ‘Four Wall Blackmail.’ I think lovers of good, heavy, rock-n-roll will dig the new direction.”

For a band whose maturation has developed with such fluidity, it seems no one can doubt Rike’s words of affirmation. “We have the same ambitions that we’ve had since day one,” he concludes. “We want to be as successful as we can be. We want to take this band as far as it can go, and make all of each member’s hard work worth while, all while staying who we are and creating music that’s real and honest.”