New Found Glory Releases ‘Listen Up!’ Album Shaped by Guitarist’s Cancer Fight

New Found Glory releases their 11th studio album, Listen Up!, on Feb. 20 through Pure Noise Records. The band created it while guitarist Chad Gilbert battled an aggressive cancer that spread from his adrenal glands to his spine and lungs.

Doctors gave Gilbert six months to live in 2021. He laid down tracks between chemo sessions and hospital stays. "I'd go into the studio to record, then Dan would drive me to the hospital because I was going through heart failure and almost dying," Gilbert said to V13. At one point, he swallowed 22 blood pressure pills each day.

The Florida group began 29 years ago as a side project rooted in the hardcore scene. They shot to fame in the early 2000s with hits like "My Friends Over You" and wore shirts of younger bands during MTV appearances.

Gilbert now takes zero blood pressure pills. His doctors say his survival defies explanation, given how rare his condition is. "For me, the album is about encouraging people to take their dark times and reverse them," Gilbert told V13. "Don't let them get the best of you. Use them as your weapon, your strength, a way to help others and help people grow."

Critics hail the album as among the band's strongest work across their three decades together. Kerrang gave it a 4 out of 5 rating. New Noise Magazine observed that the record shows a less visible side of the group with more introspection and vulnerability.

The band keeps their melodic sensibilities while addressing shared life experiences as they enter middle adulthood. Fans can buy or stream New Found Glory's latest album from the band's official website.