So, that Matt Skiba solo album we told you about? Pushed back indefinitely, it seems. We got your hopes up and dashed them thoroughly; mia culpa. But turn that frown upside down as the only reason that record’s being moved to the wayside is for the Alkaline Trio to have time for their seventh studio album. See, all better.

The untitled album will be the first released on the band’s Skull & Heart label, which resulted from a partnership with the band’s label Epitaph Records. The decision comes after the band has spent a career as label journeymen and now have gained a measure of power in their musical journey.

“We made the decision to form Heart & Skull to put out our own records after having been through every kind of label deal in the industry, big indies, small indies, majors,” said singer Matt Skiba. “We knew it was time to adapt to the shifting tides of the music industry and we could not be more thrilled about doing that in conjunction with the team at Epitaph. Taking control of our own label situation was something we always wanted to do but never thought was possible, but now thanks to Brett Gurewitz and the fine folks at Epitaph, it is.”

But in terms of generating the most interest, the band’s new album, their first since 2008′s Agony & Irony, will be an effort aimed at drilling to the core concepts of the trio’s sound and will be reminiscent of their very early recordings.

“This record is a rock record but our punk rock upbringing definitely shines through, more so than our last few records,” Skiba told Spinner.com. “The vibe is similar to our humble beginnings. It’s a step forward but I also think it has glimmers of our past in it. “We went with a less-is-more approach on this record. A lot of it is just one guitar rather than overdubs or three or four guitars,” he says. “We wanted a record that we could easily play live. For the most part, it’s pretty bare bones while still sounding full and big.”

The band’s not divulging much more than broad details, but they did let the world in on a couple of the album’s songs. The track “American Scream” is “about a US soldier that came back from a tour of duty in Afghanistan and blew his head off on his mother’s grave” that Skiba read an article about. “Dorothy” is based on the film Blue Velvet and acts as a metaphor for the band’s recent life changes, including the death of a friend.

The album is scheduled for a February 2010 release date. Tracklists and an official date as they become available.