Kevin Max announced details of his next studio project via a press release on Wednesday. The new album, titled The Blood, will be a departure for Max, who is discarding his usual alt-rock fare for a contemplative treatment of traditional Gospel music.

"The Blood is not a classic hymns cover project or a white/homogenized version of black gospel or soul music," he says via the release. "It's a sensitive and stylized adaption of the music that was at the root of rock and roll, blues and popular culture. The Blood is about the story of redemption and grace, found only in the salvation story of Jesus Christ. We intend to produce with kid gloves, but also with our hearts on overdrive and our heads in check. There is an extreme sense of respect and sensitivity to the art as we approach the choosing and arrangement of these songs."

Max recently relocated to Nashville from Los Angeles, where his shows reportedly drew a few celebrity attendees. Comedian Tom Arnold, KISS frontman Gene Simmons, and actor Christian Slater reportedly attended his sets at The Viper Room, a well-known L.A. nightclub.

Max points to traditional Gospel as a key musical influence and one of the most historically important genres ever.

"It has taken me almost two decades to come full circle and realize how much Gospel music has inspired me and influenced my decisions in music," he says. "Long before there was rock and roll, the blues or country, there was Gospel. I look forward to digging deep into a historical art form that deserves as much attention as any musical genre in existence."

The Blood is slated to release this fall.