Blistering.com has issued a new interview with legendary metal drummer Gene "The Atomic Clock" Hoglan (TESTAMENT, DEATH, DARK ANGEL, DETHKLOK, MELDRUM). Hoglan, who is currently on tour with Testament, discusses his career, Testament's new album, the upcoming Deathklok and Meldrum releases and much more. An excerpt follows:

Q: Let’s start with the Meldrum album. You’ve been involved with Michelle going back to the 80’s, so by doing Lifer, do you feel this is the proper send-off?

A: "That is for us, yes. I met Michelle in the 1984 and we had a band put together; we were in our first real band together. Over the course of the 90’s, she went off and did her thing and I went off and did mine. When we started hanging out again after she moved back to California, I started helping out Meldrum when I could. We were starting on a new era of Meldrum when she passed away; we lost a couple of band members along the way and we had them replaced. When Michelle passed away, Laura Christine, who is one the most incredibly talented guitarists out there, period, stepped up and took over the guitar playing on the record. Between her and myself, we tracked all the guitars and bass. We just wanted to have a tribute to Michelle and have a nice cap to what her writing and recording days were like.

She was really stoked with this material. She passed away right after I finished tracking the drums. We had some very rudimentary, scratch guitars that were left behind by Michelle, so fortunately she was there in spirit for us. She was our angel looking over the project the whole time, so we’re happy to get it out. We’re trying to take some of the funds that maybe we’ll for this and put it toward her son Jake. She left a four-year-old boy behind who has just turned eight. We’re trying to do what we can to leave something for him with anything we can make off this record. I’m really happy with the record. I hope people enjoy it. We enjoy it."

Read the full interview at this location.

Meldrum are set to release their long awaited third album, Lifer, this fall via Reversed Records.

The second single from Lifer, 'Blackened Blue', was released on August 31st. The first single from the album, 'A Toast To Romance', is now available here. Listen to the track below:

Lifer was produced by producer/engineer Rob Shallcross (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, GWAR, ZIMMERS HOLE, WEST OF HELL) and Gene Hoglan=.

Michelle Meldrum passed away at the age of 39 in May 2008. Lifer stands as a proud tribute to Michelle Meldrum and her lifetime commitment to creating and performing music. Michelle Meldrum wrote the material for the album with drummer Gene Hoglan, along with new members bassist/guitarist Laura Christine (WARFACE) and vocalist Michele Madden (TOURETTES). Partial proceeds from the album will go to Michelle Meldrum's son Jake Thomas, who she left behind when she passed.

Audio clips from Lifer can be heard below:

More on Meldrum at this location.