TesseracT — War Of Being (2026-09-17)

TesseracT released War Of Being on 2026-09-17, a statement record anchored by an 11-minute title track and a sprawling concept that maps identity across a world called The Strangeland.

A bold return

After a five-year gap since 2018's Sonder, the band deliberately led with a long-form single rather than a radio-friendly teaser. Frontman Daniel Tompkins says they aimed to reward the core audience who have followed the band for 15 years, and the album doubles down on inward-facing themes: two protagonists, Ex and El, explore splintered versions of self and memory inside a non-linear, metaphor-heavy realm.

Studio, drums and collaborators

Recording took place at Middle Farm Studios in Devon, where guitarist-producer Acle Kahney worked with co-producers Peter Miles and Katherine Marsh. For War Of Being the group moved away from piecemeal home tracking—Jay Postones was recorded live in a room for the first time since One (2011), giving the record a more immediate, organic pulse. Bassist Amos Williams describes the concept as a way to interrogate how memories and choices shape identity; Kahney and the producers encouraged more in-the-moment performances rather than the band’s usual meticulous layering.

Games, novella and reach

Visuals are integral: the title video renders a futuristic samurai facing a doppelgänger in Unreal Engine 5, and material made for that clip has been repurposed for a larger game project. The band released a demo tied to second single The Grey, and they previously targeted a late 2024 window for the full game’s rollout—an earlier aim rather than a current firm release date. Williams is also working on a novella to expand the album’s world.

"We don't write fast; that’s just the nature of progressive metal." — Daniel Tompkins

War Of Being is a band-sized gamble: longer songs, a heavier conceptual load and a push into interactive media. For fans who value ambitious songwriting and textured production, it’s evidence TesseracT want to keep growing beyond standard genre expectations. Read the original LouderSound feature for more detail: LouderSound.