Anglo-Finnish progressive metallers Wheel recently announced the release of their much-anticipated third studio album ‘Charismatic Leaders’ on the 3rd May 2024 (InsideOutMusic). The album was meticulously crafted to meet Wheel’s ever-heightening benchmarks and recording with engineers/co-producers Daniel Bergstrand and Fredrik Thordendal (Meshuggah) stretched from August to December 2023. The end result, mixed by Forrester Savell, has consolidated all the gains of what came before: singer/guitarist James Lascelles, lead guitarist Jussi Turunen and drummer Santeri Saksala’s third album represents their heaviest and most conscious music to date.
Vocalist & guitarist James Lascelles comments of the track: “Disciple is a heated debate between a current and an ex-cult member and both believe they are saving the other – they are also utterly unwilling to consider the opposing point of view. The discourse between these two made up characters is a reflection of multiple topical debates in modern society and the writing process has given me a chance to reflect on my own behaviour; particularly how I respond to ideas I strongly dislike.”
‘Charismatic Leaders’ clocks in at just under 50 minutes, and will be available as a Limited CD Digipak (also featuring the Rumination EP tracks as bonus), and a Gatefold 180g LP, both featuring artwork from Lucas Mayer (Long Distance Calling, Blackout Problems).
Track-listing
1. Empire 04:20
2. Porcelain 07:12
3. Submission 10:46
4. Saboteur 09:01
5. Disciple 04:12
6. Caught in the Afterglow 01:12
7. The Freeze 10:35
Pre-order your copy now here: https://wheelband.lnk.to/CharismaticLeaders
As mentioned on here before, the band will be celebrating the release of their new album with their first ever shows in Australia (supporting label-mates Caligula’s Horse) as well as their first ever North American headline shows. Later in the year the band will return to Europe for further headline dates, and you can find the full list below:
31st October – Olympia, Tampere, Finland
1st November – Sawohouse UG, Kuopio, Finland
2nd November – On The Rocks, Helsinki, Finland
7th November – Lutakko, Jyväskylä, Finland
8th November – Finlandia-Klubi, Lahti, Finland
9th November – 45 Special, Oulu, Finland
15th November – Logo, Hamburg, Germany
16th November – Melkweg Up, Amsterdam, Netherlands
17th November – 013, Tilburg, Netherlands
19th November – Rebellion, Manchester, UK
20th November – Cathouse, Glasgow, UK
21st November – Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, UK
22nd November – 1865, Southampton, UK
23rd November – Underworld, London, UK
24th November – Thekla, Bristol, UK
26th November – Kavka, Antwerp, Belgium
27th November – Luxor, Cologne, Germany
28th November – Colos Saal, Aschaffenburg, Germany
30th November – Backstage, Paris, France
2nd December – Komplex, Zurich, Switzerland
3rd December – Legend, Milan, Italy
4th December – Backstage Halle, Munich, Germany
5th December – Analog Music Hall, Budapest, Hungary
6th December – Chelsea, Vienna, Austria
8th December – Hyrdrozagadka, Warsaw, Poland
10th December – Lido, Berlin, Germany
11th December – Pumpehuset, Copenhagen, Denmark
12th December – John Dee, Oslo, Norway
13th December – Nalen Klubb, Stockholm, Sweden
Photo credit – press photo