The press release calls it a comeback. That’s not quite right. Comebacks imply something was finished. American Sharks, the Austin three-piece of Roky Moon, Nick Cornetti, and Aaron Echegaray, never really stopped; they went quiet after touring hard behind their 2013 self-titled debut and 2016’s 11:11 on BMG, then came back with this. Not Dead Yet drops April 17th via Permanent Teeth, and the guest list alone makes it one of the more interesting heavy rock records to watch in 2026.
Moon has called in some serious names. Mike Derks of GWAR plays lead on “Bang Yer Head”. Zach Blair of Rise Against shows up on “The Machine”. Kyle Shutt of The Sword contributes to “Sunny Sunday”. David Sullivan of Red Fang takes “Flowers For The Dead”. Leo Lydon of Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol handles both guitar and vocals on the closing track “They Want Peace”. These are musicians who have been doing this for decades and don’t lend their names to things they don’t believe in, which tells you something about what Moon brought them, before you’ve heard a note.
The only track available ahead of release is “Going Insane,” and it earns the feature billing. Three minutes that waste none of themselves: a thick mid-paced fuzz riff arrives immediately and doesn’t apologize for being exactly what it is, the chorus opens up with enough melodic momentum to justify the Weezer comparison Moon has made in interviews. The lyrics circle around disorientation and lost time, “I feel I’m losing myself / I’m losing time / I’m crashing out now”, and the vocal delivery understands that a line like that needs conviction more than it needs subtlety. Moon produced everything himself, which keeps the sound coherent and unpolished in the right way.
“Going Insane” is fuzz past the point of pitch, the guitars are felt rather than heard as individual notes, a wall of texture that arrives at the same time as the rhythm section and never lets go. The low end is enormous and up-front, the kind of mix where the bass weight is as much a lead instrument as the riff. Dense, close-quarters, loud throughout. For a record announcing itself after a decade away, that’s a statement of intent rather than a production choice.
Standout tracks: Going Insane, Bang Yer Head, The Machine
Nine tracks, a decade’s worth of momentum, and a feature list that doubles as a scene endorsement from heavy rock’s most dependable lifers. Worth watching closely when it drops in April.
