The Screen has returned with a vengeance. Not that they went very far-they've been playing out relentlessly since their self-titled first release in 2003. But their new album, Antitrust (Red Fez Records), feels like they've gone somewhere else and come back to tell us about it. Antitrust sounds better than many current major label releases. The album has heavy guitars, melodic vocals, a snappy rhythm section shouldered by Jarrett Osborne, with a couple of trademark Erik Ralston bizarre-time bass lines, and perhaps most exciting of all, blistering solos from the hands of Bob Beal.

For more than just the metal crowd, Antitrust is radio ready with superb production revealing squeaky-clean guitar, bass and booming drums. Rob Ziminsky's vocals have matured as well, providing depth and thoughfulness to the lyrics. There's a lot to like about a band so clearly putting in the time and effort to make a great record. I asked Beal about the process of recording Antitrust.

Where did you track and mix the new record?

Dizzyland in Rochester with engineers Terry Palmer and Hank Decken. It's a super comfy vibe and they have a big ol' Neve console that sounds awesome and used to belong to the BBC.

How long did it take for the material take to come together? It's kind of fuzzy, but it seems as though most of the songs on the record developed over the previous year of touring (tracking began in April of 2004). All the songs were stage tested before we hit the studio, and we demo'd the material at the home studio to get all the "discussions" out of the way before we were paying an hourly rate.

Who writes The Screen's songs?

We are very collaborative. It took a while for the process to evolve. Earlier on, we'd all try bringing finished songs to the table. Over time we found that for us, our material is stronger when we construct it together from the ground up. Usually one member brings a riff, a concept, a melody or a skeleton to the studio, and then we add the meat to it as a group. Most of the lyrics come from Rob and Jarrett.

How was recording? Smooth, fun or pain in the ass?

Very smooth. Very gratifying. And a huge education! Nobody got fired from their day jobs. No fights. It was definitely hard work, and when you're running on little sleep, being cooped up in a studio for close to 80 hours in a week while still working the day job, I'll admit it takes a substantial effort to stay focused and work through things.

The pain in the ass was maintaining a flow of cash to fund the process. It was like an endless cycle of "spend, spend, spend... gig, gig, gig... spend, spend, spend... gig, gig, gig..."

Be honest-how many guitar tracks did you use per song?

There were four mikes per cabinet, so the number seems bigger than it really was. Six guitar parts would amount to 24 tracks. We didn't use all four mikes at any point on a performance. I think the tune with the most actual guitar audio tracks was somewhere around 72, but there were never more than three or four going at one time.

What are The Screen's plans for 2005?

Gig, gig gig, gig. Make another record. Get signed, make a ton of dough, get in a fight, check into rehab, and get a call from VH1 for a reunion show. Then do a Burger King commercial.

OK, so what color will your Lamborghini limo be when this album makes you famous?

Mine will be teal with a nice bathroom inside. Rob's will be black with red LED's on the front like Knight Rider. Erik's will be chrome, and Jarret's will be clear like Wonder Woman's invisible jet.

So, you're wondering what The Screen sound like? Well, if pressed to wrap them in a container, which I would never do, I would say: The Screen is like Incubus on a good day with Eddie Van Halen on guitar. You can also here them in Heavy Rotation on Wire Radio (www.wirenh.com/radio) or buy their new record at the CD release show on April 29 at The Stone Church in Newmarket and make up your own mixed-drink band label.