[Ugly Kid Joe](https://uglykidjoe.net/) guitarist and producer Dave Fortman has been discussing the band's follow-up to _Rad Wings of Destiny_, which came out in October 2022, in a recent appearance on [The Joel Martin Mastery Podcast](https://www.youtube.com/@joelmartinmastery). The album is finished, with Fortman saying the track count sits somewhere around ten to twelve songs, though he wasn't certain whether it's landing as one release or in two parts.
Fortman took a heavier hand in production this time than on past records. Where _Rad Wings of Destiny_ was produced by Mark Dodson, this one saw Fortman working closely with guitarist Klaus Eichstadt and vocalist Whitfield Crane from early in the writing process, pushing songs through repeated revisions until they felt fully realized. He described going back into the mix months after an initial pass — while working on Godsmack's _Live at Mohegan Sun_ — and deciding to rework the record entirely, adding new production layers and arrangement details not previously heard on an Ugly Kid Joe album.
On direction, Fortman pointed to a shift back toward the band's earlier sound. He noted that _Rad Wings of Destiny_ was largely built without palm-muted riffing, a departure he only fully registered while playing those songs live on tour. The new material corrects course, leaning into heavier, riff-driven songwriting closer to the band's roots.
Ugly Kid Joe reformed in 2012 after a 15-year hiatus, releasing the _Stairway to Hell_ EP that year and the full-length _Uglier Than They Used Ta Be_ in 2015. The band completed its first U.S. tour in 27 years in spring 2023.
[VIDEO:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAoVD0yqK2k]