Tacoma rock group VIII Days Clean has been enjoying much success lately. They took fourth place in a competition for best band in Western Washington organized by Seattle television station KING 5. They just released their third album, which is available for purchase at www.cdbaby.com. They have a growing fan base drawn in by their hard-hitting music and lyrics that offer observations on surviving through personal turmoil.

The band consists of Ron Walvatne on lead vocals and guitar, Sean Van Dommelen on guitar, Jeff Welch on drums and Tony McDougald on bass.

The band was formed in early 2006. Walvatne and Welch are original members. Walvatne was a guitarist at first and took over lead vocal duties with the second album. Van Dommelen joined a year ago and McDougald about 18 months ago.

The band just released its third album, “Angels of Nothing,” with a CD release show last week at Liberty Theater in Puyallup that drew a large audience. They decided in May they wanted to do an album before the end of 2009. In June, they booked the venue for the release show for the first Friday in November, giving them a definite target to reach.

They were writing songs in July. Unhappy with some of the music, they rearranged many of the songs and proceeded with recording. Then Walvatne wrote the lyrics and recorded his vocal tracks.

Several songs are about drug abuse and the toll it takes on addicts. “Perpetrator” is a harrowing look at domestic violence.

The song “Spoonful of Jesus” appeared on their second album as an acoustic number. Walvatne had written and recorded it himself the last time. They decided to do it as the full band as a hard rock version this time around. “It is 10 times better,” Walvatne remarked.

All four members are in recovery from substance abuse (two were heroin addicts, two were methamphetamine addicts). Anyone who listens to their lyrics closely can tell they have experienced the depths of addiction.

Many of their fans are also in recovery, which has boosted their popularity while also presenting some challenges.

Since most of their fans do not drink, many bars are hesitant to book them out of concerns an VIII Days Clean show will not generate much in the way of alcohol sales. The members point out they can share a bill with two or three other bands and let the fans of the other groups drop money at the bar.

They have played shows at clubs that do not serve alcohol, as well as some conventions and festivals related to 12-step groups and the recovery movement. But some in the recovery community have reservations about booking the band. For one, their music is heavy and aggressive, with lyrical themes that are often dark and disturbing. And they do not preach to the audience

“We do not care if someone who comes to our show drinks,” Welch said. “We are not about judging people. How can we, when we have run the gamut of bad habits?”

So in some ways, VIII Days Clean exists in something of a no man’s land. They play hard rock, a genre long associated with drinking and drug usage. They no longer partake themselves and are glad their music is beneficial to those in recovery, but are not necessarily out to lecture anyone on how to live.

Thus the title track of the new album. Walvatne was inspired to write it by organizers of recovery events who feel their music is inappropriate entertainment for that particular audience.

“It is about how it can be hard for us to get gigs,” he said. “We are angels of nothing. We are not saints.”

Van Dommelen feels their infrequent shows have boosted their popularity. “It is not like we are a band that plays every week,” Walvatne added. They have only played in the Tacoma area three times in 2009. “We want to keep the shows special,” Welch said.

VIII Days Clean plays Hell’s Kitchen in Tacoma on Nov. 13 in a show starting at 8 p.m. They play Fun House in Seattle on Dec. 17, a benefit show to help Hell’s Kitchen with the expenses of its upcoming move to downtown. They also will have a meet and greet with fans at Rocket Records in Tacoma on Nov. 20 at 6 p.m.