Earlier this month, 3 Doors Down spent some time entertaining US troops overseas. The top secret mission had the guys stopping by naval stations in Spain, Italy and Iran. They shared new tunes from their forthcoming sophomore album, Away From The Sun, and played a song, “Not Be Forgotten,” especially for the troops. The single is the band’s reaction to the September 11th attacks, but won’t appear on the new album.

After an intense 2000/01 spent entirely on the road, 3 Doors Down have been laying low this year. They took about four months off to relax and recover from the rigors of touring, and then headed back into the studio to work on their followup to The Better Life. The new album hits shelves November 12.

Their debut album has sold around 6 million copies on the strength of three hit singles – “Kryptonite,” “Loser” and “Duck and Run.” Last year, the band won an American Music Award for best new pop/rock artist.