Emery’s colossal third album I’m Only A Man (Tooth & Nail) captures the aggressive quintet building on the blueprint of its remarkably successful back catalogue to deliver the album of their lives. With an abundance of stylistic risks, the surprise-laden song cycle was crafted with the confidence that can only come from a deeply devoted fanbase and combined sales in excess of 250,000 for The Weak’s End (2004) and The Question (2005).

With the help of producer Ryan Boesch--who previously engineered discs by everyone from The Cure, Foo Fighters, Eels, Ozomatli and From First To Last--the Toby Morrell and Devin Shelton-fronted outfit steps out of its comfort zone at the very start of I’m Only A Man. Launched by “Rock N’ Rule,” the song’s bold energy is a powerful proclamation of the inventive song structures to follow.

“That song went through a lot of changes,” says Shelton, who penned the epic tune. “At first I was struggling with it. Finally I decided to go with a really heavy, aggressive approach, and it worked. I spent a lot of time making sure that everything fused together the right way, and the band’s input really made the song.”

Strengthened by an irresistible hook (“I guess you don’t have faith”) and a captivating, near-lilting middle section – not to mention a mind-blowing trumpet sample delivered upfront by keyboardist Josh Head – Morrell explains, “We’re really big on dynamics and changing it up. We love heavy music and screaming – although not for the sake of just screaming. We’ll place it in our songs where it needs to be, just as we’ll put a harmony where it needs to be.”

For Emery – which also counts imaginative guitarist Matt Carter and thunderous drummer Dave Powell – the sonic ebbs and flows on I’m Only A Man come from an array of collective influences, be it classic rockers Queen – who they paid homage to in the past on 2005’s “Listening to Freddy Mercury” – soul icon Sam Cooke, indie rockers Pedro The Lion or musical peers Brand New.