It’s a morning of surprises for AFI fans, beginning with today’s release of new track “Get Dark,” which can be heard HERE. or below

The second surprise is that “Get Dark” is the first track from a special EP titled The Missing Man (Ex Noctem Nacimur), which was produced and mixed by AFI guitarist Jade Puget and is slated for a December 7th release.

“Thanks to the unexpected continuation of The Blood Tour, we found ourselves inspired to begin writing,” says AFI lead vocalist Davey Havok. “It was during this process that The Missing Man was found.”

About “Get Dark,” Havok says, “From the initial performance and recording, it had a driving sense of forward movement and penetrating connection. The song’s themes of deification and deference, self-loathing and vanity, captivation and release, damage and healing, are posed in a subtle invitation to those inherently compelled to accept.”

About the production, Puget says, “I was aiming for something a little raw for ‘Get Dark.’ In fact, I used most of the vocal takes from the very first time Davey sang it, as well as some of my guitar parts from when we were writing it. The song is built on the sparseness and simplicity of the verse drum groove and guitar riff that opens up into this big anthemic chorus. For the EP, the same idea of a certain rawness was really important to the overall vibe. I feel like it’s easy to turn out a slick, polished set of songs, but to walk that fine line between studio creation and live sound can be difficult. It’s been an intense labor of love and we can’t wait for everyone to hear it.”

The Missing Man follows last year’s AFI (The Blood Album), which hit No. 1 on Billboard Canada’s Alternative Chart and No. 5 on the Top Albums Chart. In the U.S, AFI (The Blood Album) hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative and Hard Rock Albums Charts and No. 5 on The Billboard 200. Alternative Press and Q gave AFI (The Blood Album) 4 stars each while outlets such as AV Club, People magazine, Kerrang and ABC News gave excellent reviews and lauded it as a fine return to form.

Since the release of 1995’s debut album Answer That and Stay Fashionable, AFI has released 10 albums, including two platinum-selling records (Sing The Sorrow and December underground), written and recorded five top ten hit singles (“Miss Murder,” “Medicate,” “Love Like Winter,” “Silver and Gold,” “Girl’s Not Grey”), hit No. 1 on The Billboard 200 (with the stunning December underground), garnered worldwide critical acclaim and amassed a fiercely loyal global following whose members number in the millions.

“Get Dark” is available as an instant download by clicking HERE to pre-order The Missing Man.