MetalAssault.com recently caught up with WEEDEATER frontman "Dixie" Dave Collins to dicuss the band's new album, Jason... The Dragon. An excerpt is available below.

Q: When I listen to the album, I feel that you've taken a new approach in terms of the music. Do you agree?

Dixie: "Yeah, we have a very good time together playing music, regardless of what it is. Different times in people's lives kind of dictate what happens. Some of the stuff was written when I had my accident and was laying around. I'm not very good by myself by all accounts, so I had to do something. So between all of that I think I came up with some weird shit. It's all a part of where we're striving to get to, so whether people like it or not, I really don't give a shit. I like it."

Q: Right, but despite that, do you think it'll be appreciated by all of your fans?

Dixie: "Well, I hope so, but I'm sure it'll be appreciated by our friends and that's what matters to me."

Q: Jason .. The Dragon. Is there a story behind that name?

Dixie: "Oh yeah, I've been keeping that around for a long time as a concept, an idea to do a record that is based on one person's life. I'll explain it to people I guess one by one as I run into them. The chronicles of one big slosh from beginning to end, and his name is Jason."

Click here for the complete interview.

As previously reported, Weedeater recently announced a string of North American dates in support of their new album, Jason... The Dragon. Support of the dates come from ASG and ZOROASTER. See the itinerary below.

Weedeater have completed their long-delayed, yet more anticipated-than-ever, fourth full-length release. The intoxicating ten-track brutalizer, dubbed Jason... The Dragon, has been scheduled for worldwide release on March 1st, 2011 via Southern Lord Recordings.

After over a year of literally crippling injuries to all three of Weedeater's members hitting the headlines, including infamous classics like "Dixie Dave blew off part of his foot with a shotgun," or "Keko tore his meniscus this week," and "Shep broke his goddamn pinkie on tour" or even "Dixie nearly died in his ninja-scuba assassin Halloween costume" and more, the band still forged on through these blows for multiple tours - several regional and national headlining tours, as well as supporting DOWN and THE MELVINS - to finally complete this record.

Although delayed by eight months, the haggard trio infiltrated Steve Albini's Electrical Audio Studio in Chicago this past September to pound out Jason... The Dragon.

As with their Southern Lord debut God Luck And Good Speed, the Jason... album was mastered by the legendary John Golden at Golden Studios in southern California, unearthing the true grit that this band dumps forth. With no argument to be had, Jason... is by far Weedeater's most varied and organic recording to date, taking their caustic, chest-collapsing, resin-coated ultrasludge to new otherworldly new realms of delirium just by taking it all closer to home, stripping their tonal onslaught down to acoustic bass at times, perfectly infusing a bit of banjo and piano, and even utilizing some new vocal tactics. Diehards fear not; this IS still Weedeater. It's just Weedeater at their finest hour... yet.

Jason... The Dragon tracklisting:

'The Great Unfurling'

'Hammerhandle'

'Mancoon'

'Turkey Warlock'

'Jason... The Dragon'

'Palms and Opium'

'Long Gone'

'March of the Bipolar Bear'

'Homecoming'

'Whiskey Creek'

Weedeater promises to kick off 2011 hard with this release, having already booked a headlining North American tour for February and March, with a European tour in the planning stages to take place shortly thereafter on their way to smoke the hordes at Roadburn, and with countless more tour rampages to be announced throughout the whole upcoming year in support of the album. One can only envision the horrendous aftermath to be announced from the Weedeater camp throughout 2011... Stay tuned for more updates as it all hits the fan.

Weedeater tour dates:

February

18 - Soapbox - Wilmington, NC^
19 - Casbah @ Tremont - Charlotte, NC^
20 - Casbah - Durham, NC^
21 - Strange Matter - Richmond, VA^
22 - Sonar - Baltimore, MD^
23 - Kung Fu Necktie - Philadelphia, PA^
24 - Santos Party House - New York, NY^
25 - The Met - Pawtucket, RI^
26 - Mohawk Place - Buffalo, NY^^
27 - Wreck Room - Toronto, ON^^
28 - Magic Stick - Detroit, MI^^

March

1 - Abbey Pub - Chicago, IL^^
2 - Triple Rock - Minneapolis, MN^^
3 - Jackpot - Lawrence, KS^^
4 - 3 Kings Tavern - Denver, CO^^
5 - Burt's Tiki Lounge - Salt Lake City, UT^^
6 - Shredder - Boise, ID^^
7 - Funhouse - Seattle, WA^^
8 - Rotture - Portland, OR^^
11 - Thee Parkside - San Francisco, CA^^
12 - Ruby Room - San Diego, CA^^
13 - Echoplex - Los Angeles, CA^^
15 - Launchpad - Albuquerque, NM^^
18 - SXSW @ Dirty Dog - Austin, TX
19 - Korova - San Antonio, TX^^
20 - Siberia - New Orleans, LA^^
22 - Orpheum - Tampa, FL^^
23 - Backbooth - Orlando, FL^^
24 - The Earl - Atlanta, GA^^
25 - Ground Zero - Spartanburg, SC^^
26 - The Jinx - Savannah, GA^^

^ with ASG

^^ with Zoroaster

(thanks: BrooklynVegan.com)