Los Angeles rockers Smile Empty Soul appeared to be destined for greatness in 2003. Behind the success of the smash hit "Bottom of a Bottle" and tours with some of the early decade's biggest rock bands, the group's second album, "Anxiety," was one of the most anticipated hard rock releases of 2005.

Then, it happened.

Lava Records asked Smile Empty Soul to edit a line in a song from the album because the label thought it was too offensive. The song was "Holes." The line was "Just admit that Jesus died for me, take your Bibles and go home." The band refused to make the change and was subsequently dropped.

In 2006, Smile Empty Soul released "Vultures" with Bieler Bros. Records. The album only sold about 15,000 copies, but making it allowed the band to vent their frustrations about the industry.

"We were really just pissed off, and "Vultures" kind of embodied that," says lead singer and guitarist Sean Danielsen. "It was just a reaction to everything we'd gone through."

After three years honing their craft and trying out a second guitarist with the independent label, Smile Empty Soul signed with industry titan EMI Records, and the three-man group hopes it will make its return to the forefront of hard rock with the upcoming album, "Consciousness" (which will be released Aug. 25).

"I would say that this record is the most developed we've ever done," Danielsen says. "We definitely know that EMI is going to put what it takes behind us with marketing. And it's just great to have that kind of push."

Smile Empty Soul abandoned its anger at the business for the new album. Danielsen says "Consciousness" has more of a progressive rock sound and that it centers on mood and emotion, which is a great departure from the band's previous work. "Bottom of a Bottle" was a depressing narrative, but the group's new stuff is open to interpretation.

"I just like the vibe of the album. Lyrically, I think it's a little more cryptic, rather than being about specific situations that are going on in the world."

One song Danielsen is particularly fond of is "L.A. River." The song portrays Los Angeles as a city of failed dreams and uses the polluted river as a backdrop.

"People from all over move there thinking they'll be successful, and it just doesn't happen," Danielsen says. "The L.A. River is a symbol of that. It's not a pretty site. It's like two inches deep and it's not really even a river."

Smile Empty Soul will play "L.A. River" and other new tracks as well as older hits at Harrah's Voodoo Lounge in North Kansas City on Aug. 20. The band will open for Saliva, a group they have supported and been compared to for years. Danielsen says he doesn't mind being caught up in the "post-grunge" crowd with bands like Saliva, Seether, Theory of a Deadman and Saving Abel because they are all successful. However, he does feel that his songwriting sets the band apart from the rest of the pack.

"I think my lyrics are just more blunt and direct," Danielsen says. "Especially early on, it came from more of a beaten-down kid's perspective."

The show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets are $18 to $35.