THE ANNOUNCEMENT
Tim Lambesis says album nine is recorded — 12 songs tracked, 10 making the cut — and he's handing the final call to fans *, †. "Polarized" and "Retribution" arrive Sept. 15 with a public vote attached *, †. There's no album title and no release date; Napalm has it penciled in for early 2027 †.
THE DETAILS
- Both songs out Tuesday, Sept. 15, with short teaser clips rolling out beforehand *, †
- 12 songs recorded, 10 planned for the record, with voting opening on the two teased tracks *, †
- "Polarized" is melodic and mid-tempo with more singing; "Retribution" is "fast, dark and heavy, no singing at all whatsoever" †
- Tentatively early 2027 through Napalm Records, following 2024's *Through Storms Ahead* †
- Current lineup: Lambesis with Bill Hudson, Don Vedda, Chris Clancy and Tim Yeung *, †
- Phil Sgrosso, Ken Susi, Ryan Neff and Nick Pierce all exited in late 2024 after leaked videos surfaced *, †
- Unconfirmed whether 2025 singles "Echoes" and "If I Fall" land on the album *
WHY IT MATTERS
SKIP IT. This is two songs and a poll dressed up as an album rollout, with no title and no confirmed date behind it — and the crowdsourced track list lands strangely from a band whose entire lineup walked two years ago.