EYE OF MELIAN delve into a metal classic with the third single off their upcoming album Forest Of Forgetting, out on February 20, 2026 via Napalm Records. EYE OF MELIAN reimagines “Tears Of The Dragon”, the captivating emotional hymn Bruce Dickinson released after his departure from Iron Maiden. The Tolkien-inspired brainchild of Martijn Westerholt (Delain) and Johanna Kurkela (Auri, Tuomas Holopainen) transforms the iconic song, originally featured on Dickinson’s second solo album, Balls To Picasso (1994), into an enchanting, cinematic experience. EYE OF MELIAN blend lush symphonic soundscapes with Kurkela’s gentle, ethereal vocals, transporting listeners into a realm of pure fantasy.
Mikko P. Mustonen about “Tears of the Dragon”: “I grew up listening to this song, but it wasn’t until I got older that I truly felt the weight of its lyrics. I’ve always loved the fantasy reference – even something as powerful as a dragon must eventually yield and let its emotions break free.”
EYE OF MELIAN open the gates to a different world with their new album Forest Of Forgetting, out February 20th, 2026 via Napalm Records. Named after a powerful primordial singing spirit from the world of J. R. R. Tolkien, EYE OF MELIAN draws inspiration from the master of fantasy and expands on his ethereal concept. Created by Delain’s Martijn Westerholt and featuring Auri’s Johanna Kurkela as a lead vocalist, EYE OF MELIAN’s Forest Of Forgetting is a masterclass in symphonic songwriting so whimsical the real world fades away.
With this opulent album, EYE OF MELIAN extends an invitation to faraway lands full of wonder. Forest Of Forgetting unfolds as quite the opposite of its title: utterly unforgettable.
Martijn Westerholt about Forest Of Forgetting: “This album has been a really inspiring process – both for me as a songwriter and in what each of us brought to it. It has a lot of what EYE OF MELIAN is known for: cinematic, score-like arrangements, minor chords, and those epic, mysterious atmospheres. The lyrics tie everything together; they bring out the worlds and stories that the music hints at and make the whole thing feel complete. The collaboration between us on this record felt very natural. We’ve really found our way of working as a team, and I’m proud of what we created together.”
Completing the all-star lineup on their debut with Napalm Records are orchestral arranger Mikko P. Mustonen and backing vocalist and lyricist Robin La Joy, blessing twelve lush compositions with immortal life. Mesmerizing from the first gentle notes of opening track “Of Willows And Shadows”, Forest Of Forgetting weaves otherworldly piano melodies and epic strings around angelic vocals worthy of the powerful Valar themselves. “Child Of Twilight” deepens EYE OF MELIAN’s dreamy and bombastic Hollywood movie score approach, carefully building up an exceptionally enchanting atmosphere that carries on into the equally cinematic “Blackthorn Winter”, ever so elegantly broadening the view into the alluring realms the band is melodizing. “Dawn Of Avatars” features Nightwish multi-instrumentalist Troy Donockley on flute and uilleann pipes, as well as hurdy-gurdy songstress Patty Gurdy, before EYE OF MELIAN turns in the direction of heavy metal with a charming rendition of Bruce Dickinson’s anthem “Tears Of The Dragon” (originally released on Balls To Picasso in 1994 after the singer had left Iron Maiden). Forest Of Forgetting also comes with all its tracks as instrumental versions to dwell in the impressive orchestrals alone.
Forest Of Forgetting tracklisting:
Of Willows and Shadows
Symphonia Arcana
Child of Twilight
Elixir of Night (feat. Patty Gurdy and Troy Donockley)
Blackthorn Winter
Lady of Light
Dawn of Avatars (feat. Patty Gurdy and Troy Donockley)
Forest of Forgetting
The Buried Well
The Mirror
Nepenthe
Tears of the Dragon (Bruce Dickinson Cover)
EYE OF MELIAN Live 2026
20.02.26 NL – Zwolle / Hedon – album release show
Forest of Forgetting Over Finland 10.03.26 FI – Kitee / Kiteesali 12.03.26 FI – Espoo / Sellosali 13.03.26 FI – Kouvola / Pato-klubi 18.03.26 FI – Rovaniemi / Korundi 19.03.26 FI – Kuusamo / Kuusamo-talo 20.03.26 FI – Oulu / Kaupunginteatteri 21.03.26 FI – Raahe / Raahesali 24.03.26 FI – Helsinki / Aleksanterin Teatteri 26.03.26 FI – Turku / Turun Linnan Kuninkaansali 27.03.26 FI – Kuopio / Maxim 28.03.26 FI – Tampere / Tuulensuun Palatsi
EYE OF MELIAN are: Martijn Westerholt – Keys and Orchestra arrangements Johanna Kurkela – Vocals and Violin Robin La Joy – Backing Vocals Mikko P. Mustonen – Keys and Orchestra arrangements
“Tristesse”, the new concept album by Italian progressive dark metal act FOR MY DEMONS, is out today with the single “The Other Side Of Heaven”, a powerful tribute to Vincent van Gogh, now available on all digital platforms via Volcano Records & Promotion.
Tristesse is a profound and evocative concept album inspired by the life and emotional universe of Vincent van Gogh. Through seven immersive tracks, the band translates the torment, beauty, and sensitivity of the legendary painter into a unique sonic experience. Blending melancholy, power and complexity, Tristesse is a cohesive work where each song reflects a chapter in a broader narrative, echoing van Gogh’s search for meaning and redemption through art.
Released together with the single “The Other Side Of Heaven”, the album paints a poignant soundscape between heaven and hell, suffering and transcendence. A must-listen for fans of Katatonia, Soen, and Dream Theater.
Watch the video for “The Other Side Of Heaven” here:
Danish melodic death metal warriors VANIR strike first with “Never Surrender”, the opening salvo from their upcoming album “Wyrd”. Fierce, melodic and unrelenting, the lyric video captures the band at full force, blending epic leads with crushing intensity.
Inspired by the pivotal Battle of Vienna in 1683, “Never Surrender” tells the story of defiance and sacrifice from the perspective of those who stood against overwhelming odds. As the Winged Hussars and the Polish army charged into history, Vanir transform one of Europe’s defining moments into a powerful anthem of resilience and unbreakable will.
With over a decade of experience forging history-driven melodic death metal, Vanir prove once again that they stand among Denmark’s strongest voices in the genre. “Never Surrender” marks a new chapter – and a clear statement of intent – as the band prepares to unleash “Wyrd” and conquer new battlefields in 2026.
Join the premiering here:
Swords, helmets and shields can be heard in the distance once more, as Danish warriors Vanir return with their new album, “Wyrd”. The record revolves around the timeless theme of fate – spun from war, from the choices of humankind, and from the consequences that have shaped our world. As a mirror of our own time, where decisions carry the weight of future destinies, “Wyrd” invites the listener into stories of downfall and triumph, of lives lost and victories won.
The visual core of the album is brought to life by artist David Troest, whose dramatic cover depicts the Winged Hussar, one of history’s most fearsome war machines. The scene is the legendary Battle of Vienna in 1683, where the Polish cavalry forced the Ottoman Empire to retreat, halting its expansion into Europe. This clash of civilizations forms the backdrop for the song “Never Surrender”, told through the eyes of those who defended Vienna from invasion.
But “Wyrd” is more than just a historical album. It is a musical journey into humanity’s struggle with power, destiny, and the eternal conflicts over survival and dominion. Vanir combine melodic death metal with epic storytelling, reminding us of that history always repeats itself, and that the choices we make today hold the seeds of tomorrow’s battles.
The album has been mixed and mastered at Demigod Recordings, ensuring a powerful and razor-sharp sound that does justice to the weight of its themes.
As one of Denmark’s most prominent melodic death metal bands, Vanir has forged its own take on epic for over a decade now, with history-themed melodic death metal, merging crushing riffs with tales of fate, battle, and myth. With “Wyrd”, the collective once again sharpen their steel and march onto the battlefields of history.
“Wyrd” will be released on LP, CD and digital formats on 03.04.2026, via Mighty Music.
Lineup: Martin Drageholm – vocals Kirk Backarach – guitars Lasse Heiberg – guitars Mikael Christensen – bass Jon Elmquist Schmidt – drums Stefan Dujardin - keyboards
Pennsylvania metal merchants THE LAST TEN SECONDS OF LIFE will release their eighth full-length, The Dead Ones, on April 17th via Metal Blade Records!
Intense and intensely personal, The Dead Ones marks the THE LAST TEN SECONDS OF LIFE‘s Metal Blade Records debut. For the ten original tracks of pulverizing deathcore produced by Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland of Pennsylvania’s Atrium Audio, the band focused on the guitar, bass, and drum tones as well as the mix/master to achieve what guitarist Wyatt McLaughlin calls, “a super-thick sonic output and ‘rolling-tank’-like feel.”
Four stellar guests are featured on the album – “Make It To Heaven” includes David Simonich of Signs Of The Swarm, Nate Johnson (ex-Fit For An Autopsy) appears on “Rat Trap,” “Dollar To A Dime” has Alan Grnja of Distant, and “XXXXXXXXXX” features original THE LAST TEN SECONDS OF LIFE vocalist Storm Strope.
In creating The Dead Ones, “everyone took what we learned from the past two releases and assembled what we thought would bring out the best of us,” reflects McLaughlin. “We examined all of THE LAST TEN SECONDS OF LIFE’s past work as well focused on how our fanbase digested and connected with our music. Focusing from the flow of structure all the way to every single word that was used. We have delivered a ten-song thriller that will bellow out through the ages.”
The Dead Ones was recorded with a six-string baritone Viper from ESP-LTD tuned to Drop F, the same tuning used on the band’s 2012 Warpath EP. To elevate the intensity, the band also used an Earthquaker Devices Sunn O))) and Keeley Octa Psi drop tune pedal on certain sections.
Lyrically, The Dead Ones follows 2024’s acclaimed No Name Graves full-length in the theme of death and rebirth, but in contrast, is directly focused on the human experience and the band members’ own struggles. Title track and first single, “The Dead Ones,” is specifically about how the actions of humanity can take an individual’s actual innate humanity away. McLaughlin elaborates, “We all know that feeling. The piercing desire to be able to have one more conversation or final words with a loved one who has passed. ‘The Dead Ones’ explores this in an illuminated way through the delivery of a sonic séance, where the realization that in becoming a vessel for the dead, darkness and light both demand their due.”
Watch THE LAST TEN SECONDS OF LIFE‘s video for “The Dead Ones“:
The Dead Ones Track Listing: 01. The Dead Ones 02. Make It to Heaven (feat. David Simonich of Signs Of The Swarm) 03. Rat Trap (feat. Nate Johnson) 04. Freak Reflection 05.1-800-DO YOU WANT TO DIE? 06. Stiletto 07. Stereo 08. Dollar to a Dime (feat. Alan Grnja of Distant) 09. Corruption Concerto 10. XXXXXXXXXX (feat. Storm Strope)
Later this month, THE LAST TEN SECONDS OF LIFE will join Left To Suffer on their North American Winter tour. The three-week journey runs from January 22nd in Atlanta, Georgia through February 22nd in Dallas, Texas. Additional support will be provided by Fr3ak as well as Your Spirit Dies and LarcɆnia RoɆ on select dates. Tickets are on sale now. See all confirmed shows below.
THE LAST TEN SECONDS OF LIFE w/ Left To Suffer, Fr3ak, Your Spirit Dies: 1/22/2026 Masquerade – Atlanta, GA 1/23/2026 Conduit – Winter Park, FL 1/24/2026 Oscura – Tampa, FL 1/26/2026 Radio Room – Greenville, SC 1/28/2026 Local 506 – Chapel Hill, NC 1/29/2026 Metro Music Hall – Baltimore, MD 1/30/2026 Meadows – New York, NY 1/31/2026 Palladium – Worcester, MA 2/01/2026 Empire Live Underground – Albany, NY 2/03/2026 Preserving Underground – Pittsburgh, PA 2/04/2026 Garrison – Toronto, ON
w/ Left To Suffer, Fr3ak, LarcɆnia RoɆ: 2/05/2026 Sanctuary – Detroit, MI 2/06/2026 Reggie’s – Chicago, IL 2/07/2026 7th Street Entry – Minneapolis, MN 2/08/2026 X-Ray Arcade – Cudahy, WI 2/10/2026 Marquis – Denver, CO 2/11/2026 Launchpad – Albuquerque, NM 2/12/2026 Launchpad – Mesa, AZ 2/13/2026 Glass House – Pomona, CA 2/14/2026 Cornerstone – Berkeley, CA 2/15/2026 Goldfield Trading Post – Roseville, CA 2/17/2026 Eagle Hall – Las Vegas, NV 2/19/2026 Vibes Underground – San Antonio, TX 2/20/2026 Come And Take It Live – Austin, TX 2/21/2026 The Secret Group – Houston, TX 2/22/2026 Puzzles Deep Ellum – Dallas, TX
THE LAST TEN SECONDS OF LIFE: Wyatt McLaughlin – guitars Tyler Beam – vocals Andrew Petway – bass Dylan Potts – drums
Julien’s Auctions and MusiCares® unveiled additional details for their highly anticipated auction event celebrating Music’s Biggest Night®. The Julien’s MusiCares Charity Relief Auction will feature unique, one-of-a-kind donated items from today’s biggest artists, including benny blanco, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, Charli xcx, Cher, Jelly Roll, Justin Bieber, KATSEYE, Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars, Olivia Rodrigo & Robert Smith, Sabrina Carpenter, Tony Bennett,Taylor Swift and more, along with special items from MusiCares ® Person of the Year honoree, Mariah Carey. The benefit auction takes place on Sunday, February 1 live from Santa Monica, CA at 11am PT/2pm EST and online at Juliensauctions.com.Bidding is open now.
Additional highlights announced today include more than 50 personal items donated by genre-spanning icons including Boy George, Coldplay, Depeche Mode, Eminem, Foreigner, Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, Ringo Starr, Shakira, and Teddy Swims, with even more to be revealed.
Among the star-powered highlights hitting the auction block are a series of remarkable artist-donated items that span today’s biggest names in music. Standout treasures include a Soundwaves Artwork from the sold-out series created from the audio recording of “Here for it All” signed by Mariah Carey (Est. $2,000-$4,000) along with the spare hood and trunk lid from her custom-built Pink 1961 Ford Thunderbird, which will be signed by Carey (Est. $800-$1,200 ea), a Gibson B.B. King Lucille Semi-Hollowbody Electric Guitar, autographed by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars (Est. $2,000–$4,000) and a rare original large-scale painting by 19-time Grammy Award winner and 41-time Grammy nominee Tony Bennett, the legendary performer and 1995 MusiCares Person of the Year. The painting is one of only two large canvases from his collection (Est. $2,000–$4,000).
Also featured are one of a kind pieces including:
Billie Eilish’s Acoustic Guitar That Has Traveled With Billie In Her Dressing Room Around the World on her HIT ME HARD AND SOFT: THE TOUR
Cher’s Noir Kei Ninomiya Designed Jacket, Embellished With Safety Pins And Worn In Promos for Her Dec 21st Saturday Night Live Appearance
Eminem’s Owned & Worn Pair Of White/Black/Grey Signed Nike Air Jordans
KATSEYE – Two Fedoras Worn By Lara Raj And Megan Skiendiel During “Gabriela” At Lollapalooza 2025 – The Group’s Performance Was To The Largest Audience Ever For A Daytime Slot
Olivia Rodrigo And Robert Smith – Robert Smith Stage Played Guitar For His Performance With Olivia Rodrigo On June 29, 2025, During Her 2025 Headline Set At Renowned Glastonbury Festival.
Sabrina Carpenter – Three Different Stage-Used And Signed “Espresso” Coffee Mugs From Her Sold Out ‘Short ‘n’ Sweet’ Tour Stops In New York City, Nashville And Toronto
Rounding out the stellar line up are “The Tortured Poets Department” Epiphone Song Maker Acoustic Guitar signed by Taylor Swift (not played) (Est. $2,000–$4,000) and a Gibson Jessica signed by Slash (Est. $2,000–$4,000). A signed, hardcover edition of 18-time Grammy Award-winning and 83-time Grammy-nominated Sir Paul McCartney’s 2021 book of the year, The Lyrics: 1965 to Present (W.W. Norton, 2021) hand signed and personalized to the winning bidder (Est. $8,000–$12,000).
The auction also features a curated selection of stage and tour memorabilia, including authentic props from Mariah Carey’s “#1 to Infinity” Las Vegas Residency, alongside additional vintage collectibles, artist-signed artworks, and one-of-a-kind pieces celebrating music’s most influential icons.
“For 19 years, Julien’s Auctions has been honored to support MusiCares and its vital mission of musicians helping other less fortunate musicians,” said Martin Nolan,Executive Director & Co-Founder of Julien’s Auctions. “Through this enduring partnership, significant funds have been raised to provide critical assistance to members of the music community in times of need. The generosity of this year’s MusiCares’ Person of the Year 2026, Mariah Carey, along with the extraordinary contributions of many other renowned artists, makes a profound impact. A continued reinforcement of the strength, compassion, and solidarity of the global music community.”
Julien’s, the industry-leading pop culture memorabilia auction house, is once again partnering with MusiCares® on a star‑studded charity relief auction celebrating the year’s most outstanding musical achievements. For more than 19 years, Julien’s and MusiCares® have joined forces on this highly anticipated Grammy® Week tradition. This year’s event will take place live at the Recording Academy in Santa Monica, CA and online at juliensauctions.com on Sunday, February 1, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. PT / 2:00 p.m. ET.
The Julien’s MusiCares Charity Relief Auction plays a crucial role in sustaining MusiCares® mission to provide a safety net for music professionals in times of crisis. Held in conjunction with the MusiCares Person of the Year celebration, this annual sale raises essential funds that help industry professionals recover from emergencies.
While the items on the block pay tribute to the creativity and legacy of music’s most influential artists, the dollars raised translate directly into life‑changing support. Proceeds help fund disaster relief, mental health services, addiction recovery programs, and essential living expenses for music people and their families—needs that are especially urgent as MusiCares® continues to respond to both immediate and long‑term impacts of recent devastating events.
“MusiCares is so proud to partner with Julien’s to bring the most extraordinary music memorabilia to music fans around the globe,” said Theresa Wolters, MusiCares Executive Director. “Through the generosity of Mariah Carey and other legendary artists over the years, Julien’s Auctions has raised significant funding, allowing MusiCares to provide the essential care we do.”
This official Grammy® Week event precedes the 2026 Grammy Awards® telecast, with proceeds benefiting MusiCares®, the leading music‑industry charity. MusiCares® provides the music community with a comprehensive network of health and human services, spanning physical and mental health care, addiction recovery, unforeseen personal emergencies, and disaster relief.
All auction proceeds will benefit MusiCares®. For more information on attending Person of the Year Honoring Mariah Carey, visit: https://personoftheyear.musicares.org/
Highlights announced today include (in alphabetical order):
Alex Warren | Signed And Hand-Painted Taylor Gs Mini Acoustic Guitar By His Wife, Kouvr Annon
benny blanco | Yamaha PSR-6 Keyboard used for Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream”
Billie Eilish | Acoustic Guitar That Has Traveled With Billie In Her Dressing Room Around the World on her HIT ME HARD AND SOFT: THE TOUR
Boy George | Signed Leather Jacket
Chappell Roan | Signed “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” (1 Year Anniversary Edition)
Charli xcx | Signed Gibson SG Q Electric Guitar, Fire Tiger
Cher | Noir Kei Ninomiya Designed Jacket Worn In Promos For Her SNL Appearance
Coldplay | Chris Martin Signed Gibson AJ Maple Custom Acoustic Guitar
Dave Grohl | Nixon “Sentry” Stainless Steel Leather and Flannel Limited Edition Wristwatch Made From Dave’s Green & Blue Flannel Shirt
Depeche Mode | Dave Gahan 2023 “Memento Mori Tour” Stage-Worn and Signed Vest
Eminem | Signed Nike Air Jordan Sneakers
Foreigner | Signed Epiphone Les Paul Special Electric Guitar, Satin Black
Iggy Pop | Nixon “Sentry” Stainless Steel and Leather Limited Edition Wristwatch Made From Iggy’s Brown Leather Belt
Krist Novoselic | Nixon “Sentry” Brass and Denim Limited Edition Wristwatch Made From Krist’s Studio 606 Denim Jacket
Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars | Signed Gibson B.B. King Lucille Semi-Hollowbody Electric Guitar
Leland Sklar | Signed “Hand Carved Bass” Metal Art Print With Photos– in the photo above
Mariah Carey|Pink 1961 Ford Thunderbird Spare Trunk And Hood From Vegas Residency
Olivia Rodrigo & Robert Smith | Robert Smith’s Stage Played Acoustic Guitar, Signed By Both Smith And Olivia Rodrigo At Their Glastonbury 2025 Performance
Paul McCartney | ’The Lyrics: 1965 to Present’ Signed and Personalized
Phil Collins | Signed Giclee Print Artwork
Quincy Jones | Signed Giclee Print Artwork
Ringo Starr | Signed Drum Head
ROLE MODEL | Signed Fender Acoustic Guitar, Natural
Sabrina Carpenter | 2025 Madison Square Garden Stage-Used and Signed “Espresso” NY
Shakira | Signed Gibson Les Paul Standard Electric Guitar, Sunburst
Slash | Signed GibsonSlash| Nixon Watch From His Donated Leather Jacket – in the photo above
Stray Kids | Hoodies and Signed Vinyl
Taylor Swift | Signed “The Tortured Poets Department” Epiphone Song Maker Acoustic Guitar
Teddy Swims | SIgned and Personalized Deluxe 3LP Box Set “I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy” Pressed on Colored Vinyl with a One-Of-A-Kind Tour Laminate, Litho Print and more
The Eagles | Don Felder Signed “Hotel California” Painting With Photos
The Marías | “Submarine” Painting On Canvas
Tony Bennett | Signed Beach Painting, Large Scale Canvas One Of Only Two Existing, Donated By His Wife Susan Benedetto
Previously Announced Items:
Mariah Carey | 2015-2017 Stage-Used “Mariah: Number 1 to Infinity” Las Vegas Residency Thunderbird Convertible Car
Mariah Carey | 2015-2017 Stage-Used “Mariah: Number 1 to Infinity” Las Vegas Residency
Jet Ski
LIVE AND ONLINE AUCTION Sunday, February 1, 2026 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time (approximately) “MusiCares Charity Relief Auction” An Official 2026 Grammy Week Event
The Recording Academy – MusiCares Foundation 3030 Olympic Blvd Santa Monica, CA 90404
REGISTERING TO BID Registration is required to bid in this auction and can be done in person on the day of the auction, or online before the sale at Julien’s Auctions.
For inquiries, please email info@juliensauctions.com or call 310-836-1818.
Placing Bids There are four ways to bid in Live Auctions:
Bid with Julien’s Auctions online.
Bid over the telephone through an auction house representative.
Bid in person in the room at our auction events.
Bid in advance by absentee bid. Absentee bid forms are available by calling 310-836-1818
Julien’s Auctions accepts payments with cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, DAI, Ethereum, Litecoin, Dogecoin and USD Coin.
About Julien’s Auctions
For the moments that matter. You know that moment when the lights dim, right before your favorite band starts playing? Or that feeling right before the credits roll on a movie that changed your whole world in an instant? The air is charged with anticipation and words are never going to do it justice because you just really had to be there.
At Julien’s Auctions, we exist to bring those moments back into your life through iconic artifacts and one-of-a-kind collections. Whether collaborating directly with artists, partnering with legendary estates, or working closely with discerning collectors, our auctions make culture pop with the promise of discovery and reconnection. From Hollywood legends to fashion icons, our sales celebrate luxury, history, and the stories that define generations.
From Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, and Ringo Starr to Lady Gaga, Banksy, and Kurt Cobain — from Los Angeles to the world, we are where originals find their kind.
More about MusiCares
MusiCares helps the humans behind music because music gives so much to the world. Offering preventive, emergency, and recovery programs, MusiCares is a safety net supporting the health and welfare of the music community. Founded by the Recording Academy in 1989 as a U.S. based, independent 501(c)(3) charity, MusiCares safeguards the well-being of all music people through direct financial grant programs, networks of support resources, and tailored crisis relief efforts. For more information please visit: http://www.musicares.org
London based alt-rock quartet Wildernesses have announced their debut album Growth, set for release on 27th March via FloodlitRecordings. Rooted in modern folk storytelling and shaped by lived experience, the band’s music inhabits the space between shoegaze glow, post-rock scale and intimate, emotionally led songwriting. Alongside the announcement, Wildernesses share new single ‘Maintenance’,a shimmering, quietly unsettling meditation on routine, survival and the strange, everyday rituals we adopt to keep ourselves upright in a fractured world.
‘Maintenance’ arrives with a striking video shot by Joey Aitchison of JWA Creations at the Cooperage, Brick Lane, London. The concept celebrates freedom of expression, showing the band performing behind oversized, handmade collage masks of their own faces. Designed and constructed by vocalist Phillip Morris from blown-up photographs, cut, layered and reassembled into sculptural forms, the eyeless masks strip away the idea of identity and vanity in equal measure.
Vocalist Phillip Morris comments on the new single: “‘Maintenance’ lives in the small, repetitive habits of day-to-day life – the odd things you do to feel okay. Lyrically it’s tongue-in-cheek and self-aware and that unease bled into the artwork and video with these collage masks and ‘eyeless’ faces mirroring the song’s warped perspective.”
‘Maintenance’ is the third single to be taken from the band’s forthcoming debut album. Previous singles ‘Four Hour Drive‘ and ‘English Darkness‘, released in 2025, drew widespread critical acclaim for their cinematic scope and understated intensity, establishing Wildernesses’ defining balance of haze and melody. ‘Four Hour Drive’ offered a tender reflection on family, lineage and inherited memory, inspired by a 1957 photograph of Morris’s father and grandfather, while ‘English Darkness’ confronted mental health with brooding urgency, its stark visuals filmed on Hull’s Sunk Island flats under the direction of Stewart Baxter, know for his previous work with bands such as IDLES. Together, the singles positioned Wildernesses as a band unafraid to explore grief, resilience and human fragility with both restraint and scale.
Emerging as modern day narrators cloaked in atmospheric alt-rock, Wildernesses conjure emotive landscapes that feel at once expansive and deeply human. Their music occupies liminal territory, between memory and imagination, heaviness and tenderness, despair and quiet hope, offering cinematic soundscapes that linger long after the final notes fade.
Formed almost by accident and featuring members of bands such as Late Night Fiction, Earth Moves and We Never Learned To Live, Wildernesses bring together Phillip Morris (vocals, guitar), Ryan Browne (drums), Mark Portnoi (bass) and Sam Howe (guitar), each carrying their own “wilderness” of lived experience, Hull and Humber riverside grit, East London streets, West Sussex roots, woven into a singular sonic and narrative tapestry. At the heart of the band, Morris’s lyrics act as modern folk tales, shaped by his work as a mental health professional, shaped by loss and survival and the understated strength found in ordinary lives.
With a sound that draws from the wide-eyed ambience of Explosions in the Sky, the fragile intensity of Bon Iver, the brooding restraint of The National, the dreamlike haze of Slowdive and the narrative urgency of La Dispute. Their name reflects the terrains they explore, interior wildernesses of memory, grief and reflection, wild, unkempt, sometimes bleak yet undeniably beautiful.
Growth spans nine tracks, seven lyrical, two instrumental, each a chapter in a story cycle that charts the human experience: insomnia, solitary escapism, forbidden desire, family heritage and hidden histories unearthed from the past. Recorded at No Studio in Manchester with producer Joe Clayton (Conjurer, Mastiff, Bossk), the album balances sweeping, cinematic textures with meticulously crafted, intimate detail. From shimmering post-rock crescendos to hushed, reflective passages, Growth captures the layered complexity and haunting nuance that defines Wildernesses’ sound.
Commenting on the album, Phillip adds: “Growth is the result of over two years of writing, refining and learning together as a band. The title reflects both life’s way of shaping us and our own journey as a group, with a playful nod to my obsession with houseplants, the cover photo of them in my bath tied the themes of growth, texture and everyday life together. We’d never met before this project and now we’re close friends, having navigated highs, lows and the intense process of making a record that truly captures what we intended. Recorded with Joe Clayton at NO Studio in Manchester, the sessions were incredible; his calm, thoughtful approach helped shape the album’s sound and feel. Thematically, Growth aims to be real and emotive, joyful and morose all at once. It’s a huge milestone for us, and we can’t wait for people to hear it, feel the vinyl in their hands and connect with the stories in the tracks.”
In a world that moves relentlessly forward, Wildernesses invite listeners to pause, breathe and step into the slow orbit of memory, into modern folk tales told through guitars, voices and textures that are at once personal and universal and where loss, tenderness, and quiet endurance coexist in equal measure.
To mark the release of Growth, Wildernesses will carry these songs from the studio into live rooms across the country, touring throughout March. Each performance offers a shared moment as the album’s quiet pull and gradual release are brought to life in real time. Live dates are listed below.
Catch Wildernesses live: Jan 31 – London @ Folklore (supporting World Coda) Feb 8 – London, Celestial Diadem Weekender @ 229 Mar 18 – Hull @ Divehu5 Mar 19 – Leeds @ Opporto Mar 20 – Nottingham @ JT Soar Mar 21 – Manchester @ Old Pint Pot Mar 22 – Birmingham @ Dead Wax |Mar 24 – Bristol @ Exchange Mar 25 – Cardiff @ Fuel Mar 26 – Brighton @ Rossi Mar 27 – London @ Folklore
WILDERNESSES are:
Phillip Morris – vocals, guitar Sam Howe – guitar Mark Portnoi – bass Ryan Browne – drums
THE ROCK ALCHEMIST – Italian Rock Band from Turin with a strong sonic identity that blends modern rock with progressive, hard, alternative, and pop elements!
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
