UK progressive metal band TesseracT have announced a new EP, ARC_ONE: Obscura, out March 5, 2027. It is their first release since signing with Nuclear Blast Records, and the band have shared the opening track and first single, “Crucible,” with an official visualizer.
Pre-save ARC_ONE: Obscura here.
You can also stream “Crucible” on streaming platforms.
A New Way to Release Music
Instead of dropping a full album, TesseracT are releasing new music in arcs. The three-song Obscura is the first chapter of what the band describe as a multimedia project for their fans. Vocalist Dan Tompkins explains:
“We’re trying to approach this a little bit differently, in terms of not just dropping a full album. We’re trying to work with how music is consumed in general, but also trying to deliver what we think our fans really want from us: a captivating story and a good concept.”
Dan Tompkins
The EP continues the themes of their 2023 album War of Being. “War of Being was very much about ego and the masks that we wear,” Tompkins says. “I think, for me, it’s very much about understanding what’s left when you’ve exposed who you really are.” “Crucible” is about suppressing yourself in order to belong, summed up in its key line, “if I fit, I disappear.” It puts the focus on Tompkins’ vocals and the punchy riffs of guitarists Acle Kahney and James Monteith. The EP was co-produced, mixed and mastered by the band with Lewis Johns.
Tour Dates
TesseracT will tour North America in January with Entheos and Sunborn, followed by UK and German dates in March, including a headline show at London’s O2 Academy Brixton. Tickets are available at tesseract.os.fan.
- Jan 7: New York, NY, Irving Plaza
- Jan 8: Boston, MA, Paradise Rock Club
- Jan 9: Montreal, QC, Beanfield Theatre
- Jan 10: Toronto, ON, Concert Hall
- Jan 12: Baltimore, MD, Baltimore Soundstage
- Jan 13: Charlotte, NC, The Underground
- Jan 15: Atlanta, GA, Buckhead Theatre
- Jan 16: Orlando, FL, Beacham
- Jan 18: Houston, TX, House of Blues
- Jan 19: Dallas, TX, Echo
- Jan 20: San Antonio, TX, Aztec Theatre
- Jan 22: Phoenix, AZ, Nile Theater
- Jan 23: Los Angeles, CA, The Belasco
- Jan 24: San Francisco, CA, The Fillmore
- Jan 26: Portland, OR, Roseland Theater
- Jan 27: Seattle, WA, Neptune
- Jan 29: Salt Lake City, UT, The Depot
- Jan 31: Denver, CO, Summit Music Hall
- Mar 11: Manchester, UK, O2 Ritz
- Mar 13: London, UK, O2 Academy Brixton
- Mar 15: Cologne, Germany, Die Kantine
- Mar 16: Frankfurt, Germany, Batschkapp
- Mar 18: Hamburg, Germany, Markthalle
- Mar 19: Leipzig, Germany, Täubchenthal
TesseracT are: Daniel Tompkins (vocals), Acle Kahney (guitar), James Monteith (guitar), Amos Williams (bass), Jay Postones (drums).
Our Take
TesseracT helped define djent and then outgrew it, and War of Being showed how far their ambitions now go. Splitting the next chapter into shorter arcs is a smart response to how people listen today, and “Crucible” is a tighter, more direct opener than much of their recent work. Fans of Entheos also get a strong North American package in January.
