Brad Van of Droids Attack said the band originally began as a straight-up punk / metal act before transitioning into more progressive territories.
"Our first album, 2004's 'All Your Chicks Belong To Us' is influenced by early Clutch, Helmet with a little Dead Kennedys and Bad Brains thrown into the mix,'' Van said. ''Most everything was pretty straightforward and simple. For our next album, 2006's 'Fatal / Error,' I wanted to make a noticeable shift in a more progressive direction.
"I started concentrating more on writing in alternating time signatures and got rid of the 'verse chorus verse' progressions as much as possible. I wrote in movements and concentrated on making the transitions flow as seamlessly as I could," he said.
The Madison, Wis., band - Van, vocals and guitar; Dennis Ponozzo, bass; and Tony Brungraber, drums - got its start in 1998.
"The concept of the sound behind Droids Attack came to me a few years later around 2000,'' Van said. ''I wanted the band to have a consistent sound that was heavy and would go over well in a live setting."
Droids Attack, whose last release was 2010's ''Must Destroy,'' has been focusing on writing new material for its next album. Van said the band has been busy playing live shows in and around their area and demoing songs.
Fact Box
If you go
WHO: Droids Attack, Trust Mission and RNRCP
WHEN: 10 p.m. Sunday
WHERE: Cedar's Lounge
HOW MUCH: $5
"We definitely wanted to get out on the road this summer, so we took a break to plan out a couple of weeks worth of shows heading down South and then back up the East coast," Van said.
Van said ''Must Destroy'' signified when the band tightened up its musicianship. He said this release challenged the band to become better musicians. Van hopes to use this approach on the next album.
"We keep pushing ourselves, and this next album is definitely a step forward in that same direction. Some of the material is so crazy that I don't even understand how it works at all. Even when I sit back and try to count the rhythm out, I don't really understand how it works. I try not to analyze it too much. It just feels right, so we go with it.''