The hundreds of thousands of fans of hardcore groove metal outfit Lamb of God must have been unfathomably excited when the band announced that they will be releasing a new EP called The Duke on December 2nd.

After losing friend Wayne Alan Ford to leukemia in 2015 after years of battling it, LoG frontman Randy Blythe took inspiration from his friendship with Ford to write a song called “The Duke” during the writing sessions for the band’s latest record, VII: Sturm und Drang. Although “The Duke” didn’t end up making the cut, Blythe was happy to have the track released separately.

“For various reasons, my band decided to not release ‘The Duke’ as an album track. I was fine with that. I thought the song and the story behind it would get more attention if it was released on its own later,” Blythe writes. “And I do want the song to get attention, for more reason than one. Besides honoring this man I was friends with for such a brief amount of time, I want the story of The Duke to raise some awareness about leukemia, especially the need for blood marrow donors.”

Blythe also wrote about his admiration for his friend: “We talked some about my band and what we were up to, but mostly I remember asking him some questions, then just listening to his answers. I was deeply moved by the experience- when presented the option, Wayne had decided to live and die surrounded by his loved ones, and on his own terms, to the best of his ability. What more could any reasonable person put into his grim situation want?”

Along with the title track, the EP comes with another original called “Culling” along with live versions of three VII: Sturm und Drang tracks.

To read the full story behind Wayne Alan Ford and how he inspired “The Duke,” watch the official video or check out the band’s website here.

Also check out the album cover and tracklist below.

The Duke EP Tracklist
1. The Duke
2. Culling
3. Still Echoes (live at Rock Am Ring)
4. 512 (live at Bonnaroo)
5. Engage the Fear Machine (live at Bonnaroo)