Inland Empire natives BIG ASS TRUCK have been making some big ass moves, and on October 20, 2026, they’ll officially unleash their latest EP, FOUND ON ROAD DEAD, via Nuclear Blast Records. Available on a variety of special formats, the new EP pushes the band’s already unjustifiably aggressive sound into heavier and darker territory, while introducing a greater sense of rhythm than before.
Produced by Randy LaBeouf, the record retains the unhinged
character that has always defined BIG ASS TRUCK while taking their songwriting, production, and sonic weight to a new world. The band spent last winter demoing riffs before sending material to LaBeouf, and together, they dissected the demos, pieced ideas together, and built each track into its final form. The result is a record packed with punishing drums, massive guitar tones, and
breakdowns that swing with a physicality BIG ASS TRUCK haven't explored to this extent.
“You feel like you’re lugging around a bag of rocks, it’s crazy–” remarks founder and frontman Abel Abarca. For Abarca, working with LaBeouf was a particularly meaningful experience. “Working with Randy was a dream come true for me. He’s worked with so many of the bands that formed my taste after high school. The things he was doing; it’s stuff that was so out of the box. He’s got an unorthodox way of thinking that makes everything sound like a monster. His production style is exactly what we were going for.”
The EP’s title track paints a suitably chaotic picture: demons crawl up from the earth and pursue a semi truck down an endless highway, ultimately leaving its victim FOUND ON ROAD DEAD. Meanwhile, “DRAGGIN MEAT” takes the particularly vulgar concept of dragging someone by the mouth on a trailer hitch, and turns it into one of the record’s most brutal,
straightforward tracks, built around a verse-chorus structure and a “CROWBAR-like”
breakdown. “For BIG ASS TRUCK, this feels like the heaviest breakdown we’ve ever put out there,” says Abarca. “BIG ASS GUN,” another standout, clearly performs well live as it’s already making an impression on the road, and getting fans amped for the new EP’s release date. Visually, the EP continues the same apocalyptic roadway insanity, with artwork by TRAZOS depicting demons erupting out of the ground, and chasing a truck across a Route 66-inspired landscape. Drawing from the imagery of Mad Max and Terminator 2, the black,
white, and gray scene is punctuated by flashes of red, giving the artwork the impact of a twisted comic book.
For BIG ASS TRUCK, FOUND ON ROAD DEAD also represents a milestone beyond
the music itself. Signing with Nuclear Blast is a long-standing dream for Abarca, who grew up listening to many of the label’s artists. More importantly, the EP signals a band evolving without sacrificing the dark sense of humor and direct heaviness that made them stand out in the first place.
“This EP is a level up for BIG ASS TRUCK. Up until now a lot of people have seen us as a meme band, because of the name, and because we have a couple songs about a truck, but I feel like this EP is taking what we do to that next level while still remaining comfortable. We’re an insane band on paper, but the sound is starting to reflect something heavier, and darker, while still maintaining that insanity.”
