Escape the Fate + Stryper Share October 2015 Release of the Month Honors

Well THAT was unexpected! After thousands of votes cast in Loudwire's Most Anticipated Release of October 2015 poll, we've ended in a tie! For much of the final few days of voting, it was a nip and tuck battle between Escape the Fate's Hate Me album and Stryper's latest effort Fallen, with the lead flipping several times. But in the end, the fans of both acts rallied and managed to end the competitive battle in a tie. So congrats are in order to both Escape the Fate and Stryper, who will serve as co-winners of the Loudwire October 2015 Release of the Month.

It was a hard fought battle and we should mention that there were significant voting tallies for Sevendust's Kill the Flaw, Puscifer's Money Shot, Queensryche's Condition Human, Sunflower Dead's It's Time to Get Weird and The Winery Dogs' Hot Streak as well.

Escape the Fate are back with their fifth studio album, Hate Me, and the band is off to a solid start with the release of the hard rocking tracks "Just a Memory" and "Remember the Scar." Frontman Craig Mabbitt says, "This new album is, without any question in my mind, the best thing that has ever borne the Escape The Fate name by a distance.”

Speaking about the album's title, he adds, "Lyrically, a lot of these tracks are based around the hate we’ve received over the years and just embracing that and using it to our own advantage.” He continues, “I’ve had to step up to the plate lately, for the fans as much as anything else, because they take the name Escape the Fate very seriously and I owe them something for that, for all the support they’ve shown us over the years. It’s very humbling for me to be able to listen to this collection of songs and think about where we’ve come from and what we’ve been through to get to this point.”

The band is hitting the road stateside this fall in support of the effort, then heading overseas for more dates. See where they're playing here. And if you're interested in pre-ordering the disc, be sure to head to Amazon, iTunes or check out the bundle options at the band's merch site. Congrats to Escape the Fate. The Hate Me album arrives on Oct. 30.

As for Stryper, the veteran outfit are rocking their eleventh studio album, Fallen, one of the band's heaviest releases to date. "In the past 30 years, we've evolved into what we are now," says vocalist and guitarist Michael Sweet. "This is what we always really wanted to be. I love the progression. The story of Stryper is that of an underdog. We go against the grain with everything we do. This album is another chance to show the world what we can do."

The band is on top of their game, with Sweet remarking, "There's something to be said for the chemistry of a whole band in the studio together ... We were there living and breathing this record, and I feel like the results speak for themselves."

The set has already spawned the title track, as well as such standouts as "Yahweh," "Let There Be Light" and "Big Screen Lies" and fans can also look for a cover of Black Sabbath's "After Forever" on the disc as well.

Stryper's Fallen arrives on Oct. 16 and can be pre-ordered via Amazon, iTunes and in special packages at the band's website. Stay tuned to their website for touring info as well, and look below as Michael Sweet has offered a personal thank you to fans for their voting support.

Once again, congrats to Escape the Fate and Stryper, co-winners of Loudwire's October 2015 Release of the Month. Be sure to pick up their discs when hitting the record store or heading online during the month of October.