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North Sea Echoes Announce New Album: “How To Cast A Shadow”
New Album “How To Cast A Shadow” Out July 24
Veteran figures of the progressive metal scene Ray Alder and Jim Matheos have announced the second studio album from their joint project North Sea Echoes. Titled “How To Cast A Shadow”, the record will be released on July 24 via Metal Blade Records. Alongside the announcement, the first single “Enjoy The View” has also been unveiled to listeners.
Following the attention drawn by 2024’s “Really Good Terrible Things”, the duo are steering their sound toward something heavier, darker, and more organic on the new release. It is noted that the live performance feel has been brought to the forefront particularly in the drum recordings, with this approach emerging not as a planned concept but as the natural outcome of the creative process.
The new album offers not only a wider sonic heaviness but also a broad emotional spectrum. The tracks range from a more radio-friendly flow to moments where dramatic and introspective structures come to the fore. The overall atmosphere of the album is shaped around melancholy, stream-of-consciousness ideas, and existential themes.
Ray Alder states that “I’ll Leave A Light On” in particular reinforces the darker tone of the album, adding that he uses indirect lyrical narratives inspired by science fiction universes. Jim Matheos, meanwhile, emphasizes that the interaction between guitars and drums has evolved into a more dynamic and aggressive structure.
Having delivered countless works under the banner of Fates Warning throughout their long-standing careers, the duo bring their past experience into a new creative space with this project. “How To Cast A Shadow” stands both as a continuation of previous North Sea Echoes material and as a bolder musical expansion.
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