Hugh Dillon is on a new high.

Instead of heroin, The Headstones frontman is getting off on the rush of having a new record out, playing to enthusiastic audiences and genuinely enjoying where he's at in his professional and personal life.

"I've made a conscious decision to be appreciative of where I am because in the midst of that [addiction] I've had a record or a movie out and I'd be stoned in some guy's basement, and that's just bulls--t," he says.

The Headstones have released four albums and a greatest hits CD, but Dillon considers the band's new disc, The Oracle of Hi-Fi, their first real record because it was the first time they worked on a project as a fully functioning creative unit.

"It was exciting because with other records we got a great idea and I'd be stoned or whatever and had no attention span, so there were no completed ideas," he says.

Dillon quit heroin two years ago after years of addiction. He has fallen off the wagon a couple of times, he admits, but is winning the battle.

"That's a drag to stand in a nice hotel and have to go to the dirtiest part of town to score," he says.

The Oracle of Hi-Fi is a pure rock 'n' roll affair with all the catchy hooks and singalong choruses the band has been blasting out for 10 years.

The quartet -- Dillon, guitarist Trent Carr, bassist Tim White and drummer Dale Harrison -- are having fun being a band again without any outside factors affecting their relationship, Dillon says.

"Right now everybody is interested in the music again, it's exciting," he says. "We aren't some business corporation -- we were friends first and we've stayed that way. We care about what happens to each other ... and we laugh our asses off. We're like a comedy troupe."

Dillon's acting career is also going well. He has made notable appearances in movies such as Hard Core Logo and Dance Me Outside but lately has been doing a lot of television work, including a role on Degrassi: The Next Generation.

The role is an example of how Dillon has changed since quitting drugs: He isn't afraid to take chances and has an open mind about everything, he says.

"I just think everybody goes through a period of blaming other things instead of being totally on top of the day. People are thinking about the past or the future instead of how to make today enjoyable," he says.

"If you just put away your preconceived notions about things life goes a lot better."

One thing that will never change with Dillon and The Headstones is their penchant for delivering a kick-ass live show. The band stops in at the Pyramid Cabaret for two shows Monday and Tuesday night.