There’s no denying I’ve been loyal to a fault to certain bands that often don’t even deserve it, but even admitting that I think …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead has been given a bum rap for way too long. Granted, the follow-up to its career defining record, Source Tags and Codes, was an abysmal failure. The band’s overplayed pretension just got the best of it, and Worlds Apart suffered accordingly. Since then, there’s a been a heaping on of negative press, some of which has been undeserved. I still find it hard to reconcile the loss of bassist Neil Busch, but bands carry on. I haven’t seen Trail of Dead live since its heyday, but it’s not from lack of interest. Century of Self was not a bad record, even though it flew way under the radar in 2009. It seems as though people have written off Trail of Dead, but I’m optimistic the band has another great record up its sleeve. The latest attempt to change people’s minds (back) is due February 8, 2011 on the band’s own Richter Scale Records and is entitled Tao of the Dead. The band worked with producer Chris Coady, who has been responsible for records by Beach House, Blonde Redhead, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, so I’m not sure what direction the new stuff might take based on that alone. The first single, “Summer of All Dead Souls,” is out November 29th. Tour dates with Rival Schools are forthcoming. [via Tiny Mix Tapes]