Legendary Supergroup ASIA Share New Single & Video ‘Arcadia’ from Upcoming Album

Posted by tarjavirmakari on September 26, 2026
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment
Photo by Scruffy Bear Media

Legendary English rock supergroup Asia have shared “Arcadia”, a new extract from the upcoming studio album, “Indigo”, out on November 6, 2026, via Frontiers Music Srl. The official video for the single is available below.

Geoff Downes stated: “The original idea for Arcadia was that it was going to be the title of the third Asia album, which we then later decided to change to “Astra”. However, the word and concept has always been around us, and there have been many suggestions over the years to write a song about it. So, here we are in 2026, 40 years later, and we’ve finally managed to bring it into being. Arcadia is a historical Greek region and is depicted as an idyllic pastoral place free from the outside world. Our song symbolizes a retreat from everyday life, an escape if you like to a quieter place, something that we all need to do from time to time.”

Pre-Order “Indigo” HERE

More than four decades after redefining the sound of melodic progressive rock, Asia return in 2026 with “Indigo” – a studio album that bridges past, present, and future with remarkable grace and authenticity.

Now featuring Geoffrey Downes alongside an inspired new lineup – Virgil Donati, John Mitchell, and Harry Whitley – Asia step confidently into a new era while honoring the legacy that made them one of the most iconic supergroups of all time. 

Geoff Downes described the genesis of the album: “The initial writing period began in 2015, following the release of our previous album “Gravitas” in 2014. John Wetton and I started putting our ideas together, aiming to get into the studio once more. It was with great sadness that John became seriously ill, during this time, and we had put on hold our plans, and sadly John passed away before we could continue and complete it. So, it was always in my mind that at some point it would be a shame not to finish off some of these songs and finally release them as part of an Asia album.”

“In 2023, when the tribute concert for John took place, I was so encouraged by the response to Asia’s music that I viewed this as the perfect opportunity to re-establish not only the band, but also to reunite with our long-time supportive label, Frontiers, paving the way for us to get back in the studio”, he continued.

Downes also added: “So, Asia was back in the room, so to speak, and we were very fortunate to have recruited Virgil Donati and John Mitchell, both of whom had worked extensively with John before, as well as our new vocalist and bassist, Harry Whitley. The tours followed to great success throughout 2024 and 2025, and finally we sat down towards the end of last year to record the album. Working with these fine musicians was a great privilege and the music just seemed to flow”.

“The album was really a joy to make. I forged a close writing relationship with Harry, and I felt how great was to be working with someone who had very similar musical influences and taste once again, just as I did with John. I feel that this is one of our best albums to date. The songs are deep in musicality, with a powerful and original performance, dynamics and strong lyrical undertones – it’s an album that hopefully our fans will widely appreciate, and support our cause to put Asia back on the map. Enjoy the ride!”, he concluded.

Recorded throughout 2025 and produced by Downes and the band, with mixing and mastering handled by John Mitchell, “Indigo” captures the unmistakable spirit of Asia while injecting it with renewed vitality and purpose.

At the heart of the album lies an emotional connection to the band’s history. “Indigo” includes some of the final compositions written by the late John Wetton -“Tattoo Indigo (Parts 2 & 3)” and “Chesapeake Bay”- imbuing the record with a profound sense of continuity and tribute. The presence of Wetton is further felt through the extraordinary vocal performance of Harry Whitley, whose tone and phrasing evoke a striking and deeply moving resemblance to the band’s original voice.

Musically, “Indigo” stands as a natural continuation of Asia’s acclaimed 21st-century output, while subtly weaving in the sonic DNA of the band’s classic early albums. From soaring melodies to richly layered arrangements, the album delivers the signature blend of accessibility and musicianship that defined hits like “Heat Of The Moment” and “Only Time Will Tell”.

The album also features special guest appearances that elevate its scope: Steve Howe contributes acoustic guitar to the evocative “Chesapeake Bay”, while Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) delivers a powerful performance on the bonus track “Tattoo Indigo (Part 3)”.

Following a resurgence of live activity across the US, Japan, and Europe, Asia are looking forward to taking to the road again. 

With “Indigo”, Asia don’t just revisit their legacy – they expand it, proving once again that their music remains as vital, resonant, and timeless as ever.

“Indigo” Tracklist:

The Traveller (Into The Light)
Change Of Heart 
Arcadia 
Is This The Life?
Tattoo Indigo (Part 1) 
Tattoo Indigo (Part 2) 
Tattoo Indigo (Part 3) 
Life In The Sun 
Hymn For The Fallen 
Night And Day 
Valencia (The Ghost Ship) 
An Elegy 
Chesapeake Bay (Featuring Steve Howe) 
On A Winters Night 
Echo Of You
Tattoo Indigo (Part 3) (featuring Mike Portnoy) (Bonus Track)

Line Up:
Geoff Downes
Virgil Donati
John Mitchell
Harry Whitley

Follow ASIA:
Website
Facebook
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MESSIER 16 Release New Single & Video ‘Mollusk Herald’ from Upcoming Album

Posted by tarjavirmakari on September 26, 2026
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment

Norwegian progressive metal act MESSIER 16 have released “Mollusk Herald”, a new single taken from their forthcoming third full-length “Shouts from the Cliffs of Heterodoxy”, due on October 23, 2026 via Time To Kill Records.

The track offers another glimpse into the Oslo-based group’s multifaceted songwriting, where progressive structures intersect with darker and more atmospheric passages, creating constant shifts in perspective without sacrificing cohesion. “Mollusk Herald” occupies a more concise space than some of the album’s extended pieces, yet retains the band’s penchant for unusual turns and contrasting textures. It follows the previously released “Time-Swayed Cities” and “Gloom-Chaser”, further revealing the breadth of an album that moves between progressive metal, black metal, doom, post-metal and choral arrangements.

Streaming: https://ffm.to/messier16-mollusk-herald

The band comments:

“’Mollusk Herald’ captures MESSIER 16’s experimental edge through syncopated rhythms, heavy guitar chugs, piercing leads and mounting dissonance. Its off-kilter groove builds tension without offering an easy release, mirroring the song’s fragile protagonist: an aspiring orator struggling to make his voice heard. Intense, unpredictable and deliberately unsettling, the track blends progressive complexity with a raw, visceral impact”.

Tracklist:

1. Nostalgia Theft Reminiscence
2. Blank Absurdist Form
3. Gloom-Chaser
4. Holoparasite
5. Time-Swayed Cities
6. Glittering Afterwaves
7. Perennial Shift I – Moss
8. Perennial Shift II – Evergreen
9. Perennial Shift III – Plietesial
10. Mollusk Herald
11. Dream Heritage Veto
12. Trauma Gift Repression

“Shouts from the Cliffs of Heterodoxy” is an hourlong descent into the fractured landscapes of delusion. On their third full-length album, Messier 16 deliver their most ambitious and cohesive statement yet, a record that inhabits its characters as much as it describes them, drawing the listener into worlds where perception and reality blur beyond recognition.

Rather than presenting a single storyline, the album unfolds as a gallery of portraits, each song a self-contained study of a mind caught in its own distortions. The voices here are contradictory, volatile, and human: a nostalgia that grieves for something that never happened, a city dweller unable to recognise the time they live in, a cynic who tears down without ever building, a figure convinced that change can only be granted by others. Together, they form a mosaic of inner worlds — intimate, strange, and often unsettling.

Musically, the record ranges from the precision and velocity of technical black metal to the earthbound weight of doom, the ethereal scope of post-metal, and the stark beauty of choral arrangements. Every shift in style is in service of the narrative, moving seamlessly from moments of brute force to passages of stillness and introspection. The choral bookends, “Nostalgia Theft Reminiscence” and “Trauma Gift Repression”, frame the chaos between them like hands holding a fragile sphere, offering both a sense of symmetry and the reminder that beauty and disquiet can occupy the same breath.

At its heart, “Shouts from the Cliffs of Heterodoxy” is not a work of answers, but of questions. It resists resolution, allowing its characters to remain ambiguous, neither condemned nor redeemed. In doing so, it invites the listener to stand on the same cliff edge, to hear the shouts carried by the wind, and to decide for themselves whether they are being beckoned forward — or warned to turn back.

Preorders:

Hailing from Oslo, MESSIER 16 have established a distinct identity within contemporary progressive metal through a sound that is intricate, inventive and at times deliberately unconventional, yet always marked by a strong sense of elegance and compositional coherence. Drawing inspiration from artists such as Ihsahn, Enslaved and Devin Townsend, the band embraces a forward-thinking approach where extreme metal serves as the starting point for a broader and highly personal sonic exploration. Heavy rhythmic structures, layered guitar work and sharp dynamic contrasts coexist with atmospheric passages, orchestral textures and emotionally driven songwriting, resulting in a musical language that remains adventurous without ever losing sight of structure and songcraft.

The band consists of Jonas Eide (guitars, composer, lyricist), Sondre M. Svalastog (vocals), Aleksander Ilievski (guitars, producer), Nicolo Cavallaro (bass) and Jonathan Hamre (drums). Through their work, MESSIER 16 have developed a deeply narrative and expressive approach, exploring psychological and emotional themes through a form of portrait-like lyricism focused on the inner lives of individuals and the actions stemming from them.

Their previous albums, “Iota” and “Death Poems”, already showcased the band’s ambition and conceptual depth. While the former dealt with mental health struggles and emotional fragility, the latter drew inspiration from publicly available suicide notes, confronting themes of despair and human vulnerability with striking intensity and sensitivity.

Now preparing to unveil their third full-length album, MESSIER 16 further refine their sonic identity while venturing into new musical and lyrical territory. The upcoming record promises a more mature and expansive vision of the band’s progressive approach, balancing technical sophistication, atmospheric depth and emotional resonance within a highly cohesive framework.

For more info: https://linktr.ee/messier16official

DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT’s Sixteen-Date European Headline Tour Begins on October 16th

Posted by tarjavirmakari on September 26, 2026
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment
Photo by © Mario Schmitt

DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT‘s sixteen-date European headline tour begins October 16 in Dresden and runs through October 31 in Stuttgart, covering seven countries across Central and Eastern Europe, the Alpine region, Italy, and the Benelux before closing out with a run of German dates.

The band’s live show has long been regarded as the most direct encounter with what their music is built to do. Where the records reward patient listening, the stage compresses that same emotional arc into something more immediate, the interplay of searing aggression and fragile, melancholic passages rendered in full force, with Tobias Schuler’s drumming and Nikita Kamprad’s visceral vocal delivery anchoring the room from the first note to the last.

The tour supports Innern, the band’s sixth studio album, and arrives in the middle of the run with an instrumental edition of the record, released digitally in September to mark one year since the album’s original release. The instrumental version strips the six tracks back to their compositional core, isolating the guitar, bass, and drum writing beneath Kamprad’s vocals.

Order & stream Innern: https://orcd.co/derwegeinerfreiheitinnern

DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT – 2026 European Fall Tour:

16 October: Dresden, DE @ Groovestation
17 October: Kraków, PL @ Zascianek
18 October: Warsaw, PL @ Mechanik
19 October: Brno, CZ @ Melodka
20 October: Graz, AT @ Explosiv
21 October: Milano, IT @ Q-Hub
22 October: Wörgl, AT @ Komma
23 October: Sion, CH @ Le Port Franc
24 October: Langenthal, CH @ Old Capitol
25 October: Maastricht, NL @ Samhain (without Brnjsmin)
26 October: Cologne, DE @ Essigfabrik
27 October: Marburg, DE @ KFZ
28 October: Bremen, DE @ Tower
29 October: Hanover, DE @ Bei Chez Heinz
30 October: Rostock, DE @ Peter Weiss Haus
31 October: Stuttgart, DE @ Kulturquartier

Tickets are available here: https://derwegeinerfreiheit.de/live/

Tracklist:
1. Marter (9:24)
2. Xibalba (10:07)
3. Eos (7:30)
4. Fragment (6:24)
5. Finisterre III (2:00)
6. Forlorn (7:44)
Full runtime: 43:12

With Innern, their sixth studio album, DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT return with their most introspective and compositionally expansive work to date. A meditation on suffering, transformation, and the fragile thresholds of the human psyche, Innern refines the band’s signature blend of black metal intensity and post-metal atmosphere. The title, German for “inward”, anchors the album’s conceptual weight: a turning away from the external, into a realm of personal reckoning, silence, and renewal. Across six meticulously crafted tracks, the band explores cycles of disintegration and emergence, inviting listeners to confront the deep and often contradictory nature of existence itself.

DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT formed in Würzburg, Germany in 2009, the brainchild of guitarist and composer Nikita Kamprad and original vocalist Tobias Jaschinsky. The band’s early beginnings were humble but explosive: their self-released debut quickly sold out, drawing attention across the underground metal scene. A reissue in 2010 with newly recorded drum parts by Christian Bass (Heaven Shall Burn, ex-Night in Gales) established the band’s first official lineup and led to extensive touring across Germany and Europe. From the outset, DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT were set apart not just by their technical prowess, but by a philosophical inclination that would become the band’s artistic hallmark.

Their 2012 sophomore album, Unstille, expanded on their debut’s melodic harshness, while introducing a deeper emotional weight. It also marked the first appearance of drummer Tobias Schuler, whose intricate and expressive playing would become central to the band’s identity. Though vocals on Unstille were still performed by Tobias Jaschinsky, he would leave the band shortly after its release. Kamprad took over vocal duties in the months that followed, stepping into the role of frontman in time for the writing and recording of their next album.

Stellar, released in 2015 via Season of Mist, solidified the band’s stature within the modern black metal landscape. Drawing from post-rock and progressive influences, the album embraced wider dynamics and cinematic structures, aligning them with the likes of Wolves in the Throne Room and Deafheaven, without sacrificing their own Germanic rigor and introspection.

In 2017, Finisterre signaled a conceptual leap forward. It confronted themes of isolation, personal dissolution, and spiritual finality across sprawling arrangements and stark tonal shifts. This period saw further lineup changes, with the departure of guitarist Sascha Rissling and bassist Giuliano Barbieri, and the arrival of Nicolas Rausch and Nicolas Ziska. Finisterre also marked their first chart placement in Germany and set the stage for increasingly ambitious live performances.

A live album, Live in Berlin (2019), captured the raw power and cathartic energy of the band’s concerts, affirming their reputation for immersive, emotionally charged performances. But it was Noktvrn, released in 2021, that truly redefined what DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT could become. Inspired by the ambiguous state between wakefulness and dreams, and drawing influence from classical composers such as Chopin and Arvo Pärt, the album saw Kamprad experiment with clean vocals and subdued textures. It was both a thematic and sonic breakthrough and was received by critics as their most refined and contemplative release to date.

Now, with Innern, DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT move even deeper into the abyss. Produced, mixed, and mastered by Kamprad in his own studio, the album is an intensely focused work. “Eos,” the album’s lead single, contrasts war and renewal, imagining a post-human earth fertilized by sacrifice and reclaimed by nature. “Marter” follows as a searing portrayal of inner torment and emotional release—suffering not only as a source of agony, but as a path toward transcendence. “Xibalba” then confronts the machinery of fear—media, propaganda, and spiritual fragmentation—urging a return to our collective essence through introspection and clarity. And with “Forlorn,” the band delivers their most vulnerable statement yet: a delicate plea for emotional refuge, sung in English to underscore its universality. The album also marks the studio debut of bassist Alan Noruspur, whose presence brings a new emotional and personal depth to the band’s sound.

Musically, Innern leans into contrast and contradiction. Kamprad and Rausch’s guitar interplay oscillates between searing aggression and elegiac restraint. Noruspur’s basslines pulse with warmth and gravity, while Schuler’s drumming remains as meticulous as ever-bridging technicality with emotional nuance. The album’s production captures a sense of immediacy and live energy, yet remains rich in detail and atmosphere. It is not merely a refinement of past styles, but a reinvention—one that places the listener in direct confrontation with the void.

DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT stand now at the peak of a fifteen-year evolution. Their music is as concerned with silence as it is with sound, as shaped by introspection as by fury. As they prepare to bring Innern to European stages in autumn 2025, they do so not as provocateurs of extremity, but as artists navigating the fragile space between collapse and clarity. In a genre often defined by spectacle, DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT remain committed to vulnerability, transformation, and truth.

Line-up:
Nikita Kamprad — Vocals, Guitars
Nicolas Rausch — Guitars
Alan Noruspur — Bass
Tobias Schuler — Drums

Production Credits:
Recorded, mixed & mastered in Würzburg, Germany by Nikita Kamprad.
Drums recorded separately at Studio Weißmann, Würzburg, Germany.

Cover Art:
Design & layout by Max Löffler (https://maxloeffler.com/)

Photography:
Mario Schmitt

Follow Der Weg Einer Freiheit:
Official Website: https://derwegeinerfreiheit.de/
Bandcamp: https://derwegeinerfreiheit.bandcamp.com/
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/derwegeinerfreiheit
Instagram: http://instagram.com/derwegeinerfreiheit
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/derwegeinerfreiheit
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7e823b0KQoVtLG86Ui5xGD
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/artist/der-weg-einer-freiheit/363526020
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/artist/1386896
Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/artist/4479035

WICKED ONE Premiere New Video ‘As Angels Expire’ from Upcoming Debut Full-Length Album

Posted by tarjavirmakari on September 26, 2026
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment

The Invocation. The Descent. The Requiem. WICKED ONE enters its darkest and most mournful chapter yet with “As Angels Expire.”

The Story Continues…

The chapter began on June 6, 2026, when WICKED ONE emerged from the shadows with “Kneel Before Lucifer,” premiered by Metal Injection. That song established The Invocation, opening the gateway into the WICKED ONE world.

On August 21, the band descended further with “Lord Lake of Fire,” premiered exclusively by Metal Shock Finland. The Descent followed the invocation, taking the story deeper into darkness.

Now comes The Requiem.

The Invocation. The Descent. The Requiem.

Together, the three songs continue to establish the foundation of WICKED ONE’s expanding mythology ahead of the band’s debut full-length, planned for early 2027, with international touring plans already taking shape. Created by Scott Eames (Vital Remains, ex-Nile, Nevalra) on guitars, vocals, and songwriting, WICKED ONE features Darren Cesca (Deeds of Flesh, Arsis, Vile, Serpent of Gnosis) on drums and Max Lavelle (The Black Dahlia Murder, Despised Icon, Serpent of Gnosis) on bass.

Yesterday, September 25, 2026, WICKED ONE premiered its third single and official music video, “As Angels Expire,” marking the next chapter in the band’s evolving black metal world.

Where the first two songs struck with aggression and ritualistic intensity, “As Angels Expire” takes a different path. Darker, more atmospheric, and carrying the weight of a funeral procession, the song feels less like an attack and more like what remains after the battle is over.

SOME SONGS ARE MEANT TO BE MOURNED

“As Angels Expire is a completely different side of WICKED ONE. The first two songs were meant to be screamed. This one is meant to be mourned. There’s something very funeral-like about it, it feels like standing at the end of something and watching it disappear. I wanted the music to carry that sense of grief and finality.” – Eames

The result is a song built around haunting melodies, somber atmosphere, and a sense of finality. It is not a departure from the WICKED ONE identity, but another dimension of it, a requiem within the same dark world.

The 4K video for “As Angels Expire” was filmed by Tamara Llenas of Aimed & Framed, while the song was mixed and mastered at House of Grind Studios by Darren Cesca. The unmistakable WICKED ONE logo was created by legendary extreme-metal logo artist Christophe Szpajdel, Lord of the Logos.

“As Angels Expire” is another step deeper into the world WICKED ONE has been building. One where aggression, atmosphere, ritual, and darkness exist side by side.

And as the angels expire, WICKED ONE continues deeper into the darkness.

Listen/Stream:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5EfS1NgEIcpIFe49WsJfEt
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/wicked-one/6775954883
Bandcamp: https://wickedone.bandcamp.com/
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/wickedoneband
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wickedoneband

Follow:
Website: https://wickedone.us/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WickedOneBand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wickedoneband
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wickedoneband
X: https://x.com/wickedoneband


VINGULMORK Release Lyric Video for ‘Krigserklæring’ from New Full-Length Album “Barmhjertighetens Fallitt”

Posted by tarjavirmakari on September 26, 2026
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment

Vingulmork was formed in 2013 by four guys drawn together by a shared obsession with melodic, riff-driven extreme metal. The band is rooted in Scandinavian black metal, but has never cared much for genre borders. The bite of thrash, the weight of death and the cold bitterness of black metal all feed into the machinery that grinds out the Vingul-mork sound.

The band and music feeds off anger, anguish and despair, but doesn’t shy away from leaning into more vulnerable and fragile themes. In the end, though, it all comes back to the defining moments of broken dreams, shattered optimism and the relentless butchery of hope and happiness.

Dark melodies cut through the battery of harshness and make up a sound that has grown harder, more complex and more merciless over the years – without losing the rawness that defined the band from the beginning.

Earlier this month, Vingulmork released their fourth album. It is their most ambitious and forceful work to date. Driven by brutal riffs, desperation and uncompromising intensity, the record pushes the band further into its own territory and confirms Vingulmork as a stubborn, uncompromising force in the Norwegian extreme metal underground.

Watch the lyric video ‘Krigserklæring’:

Website: https://www.vingulmork.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vingulmork
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vingulmork_official
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1X4URHr6oaBTH5WQ0ds39S

BEN POOLE Releases New Album “Post-Midnight Behaviour” with Music Video for ‘Runaway Souls’, Feat. Elles Bailey

Posted by tarjavirmakari on September 26, 2026
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment
Photo by Mike Inns

Today, celebrated British guitarist and singer songwriter, Ben Poole, is pleased to announce the release of his new album Post-Midnight Behaviour. The album is released worldwide by Gypsy Soul Records and is available on CD and vinyl HERE, and digital HERE.

To celebrate the album release, Ben has released the lead single “Runaway Souls” featuring Elles Bailey. The single is accompanied by an official music video that can be viewed on YouTube HERE.

Pushing boldly beyond familiar blues-rock territory, Ben unveils a richer, more atmospheric sound, where late-night grooves, subtle rock dynamics, and sky-bright hooks collide with effortless confidence. Expressive, cinematic, and instantly memorable, the track draws the listener deep into the world of Post-Midnight Behaviour without ever losing its cool, understated power.

“I wanted Post-Midnight Behaviour to capture how far I’ve come as a guitarist, singer, and songwriter,” says Poole. “After years of playing more than 150 shows annually across over 20 countries, everything has grown — my guitar style, technique, and voice, and how I hear music. The album is the sound of all those experiences coming together. It moves through Blues, Rock, Soul, Country, and Alternative Rock, but with a darker, late-night energy running through it. I still get to unleash the guitar, but this time it sits inside something more atmospheric and reflective, and more emotionally charged. That after-hours mood inspired the album title.”

“In recent years I’ve released a few live albums, which are great snapshots of a specific moment in time,” adds Poole. “With this new album, I took my time to make sure every detail was fully realised — the songs, the sounds, the arrangements, the performances, everything. My writing team and I pushed ourselves harder than ever, digging deep to make the songwriting as strong, sharp, and emotionally powerful as it could be. Listeners are going to feel that energy the moment they hear it. It has been well worth the wait.”

TRACK LISTING

1. No Second Chances (5:42)
2. Empty (5:57)
3. Time Has No Mercy (3:36)
4. Living On Repeat (Buried in the Background) (4:13)
5. Summer Haze (4:40)
6. Runaway Souls – featuring Elles Bailey (4:22)
7. Searching (5:30)
8. Nothing To You (3:50)
9. Start Of The End (5:26)
10. Runaway Souls – featuring Elles Bailey (Radio Version) (4:12)

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Produced by Wayne Proctor, Oli Brown and Ben Poole
Recorded at House of Tone Mix Suite & Superfly Studios, Nottinghamshire, UK
Mixed and mastered by Wayne Proctor at House of Tone Mix Suite, UK
“Runaway Souls” (Radio Version) mixed & edited by Ross Hayes-Citrullo at RHC Music, Toronto, Canada
All songs co-written by Ben Poole, Oli Brown, Wayne Proctor, and Steve Amadeo

MUSICIANS

Ben Poole – Guitars, Vocals
Wayne Proctor – Drums
Oli Brown – Backing Vocals, Moog
Steve Amadeo – Bass
Bennett Holland – Hammond Organ, Piano, Wurlitzer, Rhodes
Elles Bailey – Guest vocals on “Runaway Souls”

ALBUM TRACK BY TRACK

1. NO SECOND CHANCES
A dark, layered opener that sets the tone for the album. Driven by power chords and raw emotion, it follows a man walking away from a relationship that cannot be saved.

“I’ve tried to understand what you’re searching for.
While caught in the battleground of your internal war.”

It builds steadily to one of Ben’s signature guitar solos.

2. EMPTY
Subtle and sultry, this groove creates an evocative backdrop for a man confronting emptiness and fading memory. From that sense of helplessness comes a striking chorus.

“Dive into the deep unknown.
Here I go again, falling further out of the view.
Shadows that I hide within.
Here I go again, forever caught in the black and the blue.”

It rises to another of Ben’s melodic, standout guitar solos.

3. TIME HAS NO MERCY
Hard-edged and urgent, this track is about seizing the moment, believing in yourself, and proving your worth.

“There’s no need to take the easy way out.
Head back into the fire again.
Stand tall and kick back.
Time has no mercy for you.”

It’s the kind of song made for long overnight drives on empty roads when you’re racing toward whatever waits ahead.

4. LIVING ON REPEAT (BURIED IN THE BACKGROUND)
It opens with dark, fuzzy bass and surges forward on jagged, heavy guitar riffs. The song becomes a metaphor for breaking chains, resisting inertia, and forcing a way out.

“I cut and cauterize to see if I can feel this.
I’ll count the days till I’m no longer displaced.
I don’t want this taking over I’m done drifting.”

Fragmented and unsettling, it rejects a clear verse-chorus structure in favour of a single driving impulse: to escape and survive.

5. SUMMER HAZE
With shimmering pop textures and bright, glinting guitars, Summer Haze initially feels light and carefree. But beneath the surface, it tells a wistful story of fleeting love reduced to memory.

“The sun’s gone down, the tide is out.
It’s all lost in the summer haze where I once knew you.”

6. RUNAWAY SOULS (FEATURING ELLES BAILEY)
Elles Bailey delivers a guest vocal that is the very definition of rock and soul. Over a backdrop of driving guitars and thunderous drums, she sings of leaving it all behind, chasing something greater, and living without regret.

“We won’t be told we’re good for nothing.
We’re gonna be long gone.
This town won’t swallow us whole.
Kick up the dust, we’re runaway souls.”

As ever, Bailey is full of surprises and utterly uncompromising. A phenomenal performance.

7. SEARCHING
It’s 4 a.m. and sleep is a distant prospect. Few songs capture those lonely, restless hours better than this melodic, languid, and beautifully understated piece of rock. Beneath its laid-back groove lies an existential reflection on the pull of the past and the uncertainty of the road ahead.

“We’ve been searching for a way out of everything that’s come before.
I know we can’t keep holding on to nothing.
We have to believe there’s something more.”

At its heart, this is a song about hope and finding the courage to keep moving forward when the destination remains unclear. You may never find exactly what you’re searching for, but you’ll be changed for the better by the journey itself. Thoughtful, poignant, and deeply affecting.

8. NOTHING TO YOU
For those about to rock around the clock, we salute you. This irresistible slab of groove-laden rock, driven by a snaking guitar line and an infectious rhythm, is the perfect companion for the small hours when fatigue is setting in but sleep remains out of reach. Yet beneath the swagger lies a tale of longing and frustration; of wanting something that remains stubbornly unattainable.

“Keep refusing, I’m reaching the end here.
However I try, can’t keep giving it all when I’m still nothing to you.”

The object of desire may mean nothing to the singer in the end, but this song could mean everything to anyone looking for a soundtrack to those long, lonely hours. Effortlessly cool, relentlessly catchy, and impossible to resist.

9. START OF THE END
“Hijacked maniacs, emotional amnesiacs.
I see the cracks tearing our lives apart again.
It’s time to face whatever we’ve been running from.”
A desperate cry from the point of no return. Yet for all its darkness, this is a song of monumental uplift and renewal. Emerging from the wreckage of regret and denial, it embraces the moment when the first light finally breaks after a long night of the soul.

As the sun rises, pure melody and power-anthem guitars provide the perfect accompaniment, transforming despair into defiance and uncertainty into hope. And then comes that chorus—soaring, life-affirming, and utterly irresistible. What a way to greet the solar miracle that has captivated humankind since the dawn of time. Exhilarating, redemptive, and unforgettable.

BEN POOLE 2026 UK TOUR

TICKETS AVAILBLE FROM https://benpooleband.com/live

Kinross, The Green Hotel
Saturday October 31
Tickets

Glasgow, Nice ‘N’ Sleazys
Sunday November 1
Tickets

Newcastle, The Cluny
Monday November 2
Tickets

Coulsdon, The Tuesday Night Music Club
Tuesday November 3
Tickets

Oxford, The Bullingdon
Wednesday, November 4
Tickets

Frome, Tree House
Thursday November 5
Tickets

Swansea, Sin City
Friday November 6
Tickets

Winchester, The Railway Inn
Saturday November 7
Tickets

Brighton, Komedia
Sunday November 8
Tickets

Tunbridge Wells, The Forum
Wednesday November 11
Tickets

London, Half Moon Putney
Thursday November 12
Tickets

Luton, Bear Club
Friday November 13
Tickets

Barnoldswick, Music and Arts Centre
Sunday November 15
Tickets

Leicester, The International
Tuesday November 17
Tickets

Camberley, Login Lounge
Wednesday November 18
Tickets

Chester, The Live Rooms
Thursday November 19
Tickets

Dudley, Lamp Tavern Live
Friday November 20
Tickets

Leamington Spa, Temperance
Saturday November 21
Tickets

ABOUT BEN POOLE

Ben Poole is an internationally acclaimed force in blues rock. Recognised by multiple publications as one of the world’s leading blues guitarists, he has been cited by Guitar World alongside artists including Eric Clapton, John Mayer, Buddy Guy, Robert Cray and Joe Bonamassa.

He has also been named among the world’s top 15 blues guitarists by Total Guitar and Music Radar.

Ben has appeared on the covers of numerous magazines and earned praise from guitar greats including Jeff Beck, Gary Moore, Richie Kotzen, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and Philip Sayce. He is widely regarded as one of the standout artists on the international blues-rock circuit.

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