Sonder (Tesseract album)

Last updated

Sonder
Sonder - Tesseract.jpg
Studio album by
Tesseract
Released20 April 2018
Recorded2017
Studio4D Sounds (Milton Keynes, UK); Celestial Sound Chicago, Illinois)
Genre
Length36:24
Label Kscope
Producer
Tesseract chronology
Polaris
(2016)		Sonder
(2018)		 War of Being
(2023)
Singles from Sonder
  1. "Smile"
    Released: 23 June 2017
  2. "Luminary"
    Released: 8 February 2018
  3. "King"
    Released: 16 March 2018
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 70/100 [1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Metal InjectionStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Metal Storm 8.0/10 [4]
Exclaim! 8/10 [5]

Sonder is the fourth studio album by British progressive metal band Tesseract. It was released on 20 April 2018 through Kscope, following Polaris (2015).

Contents

Tesseract began recording the album in 2017, releasing its first single, "Smile", on 23 June, with the intention of reworking it for Sonder. [6] The album's lead single, "Luminary", was released on 8 February 2018, the same day the album was announced. [7] It is notably the band's first full-length release to not feature a lineup change from the previous album.

Background

Sonder features a live choir produced and conducted by Randy Slaugh Randy Slaugh TesseracT Choir.jpg
Sonder features a live choir produced and conducted by Randy Slaugh

Sonder marks Tesseract's second consecutive release and third overall with the original vocalist, Daniel Tompkins, who first appeared on their debut studio album, One (2011), and later, Polaris . A concept album, Sonder was described by Tompkins as "exploring a deep and devouring sense of insignificance". [8] "Smile" was released by the band on 23 June 2017, and was described as their "most collaborative track in recent times", [6] but was intended to be reworked and extended for the album. [8]

The album was originally announced on 8 February 2018, with the simultaneous release of its lead single, "Luminary", [7] and the music video for "King" (directed by Kyle Kadow and Steven Cleavland in Wisconsin) being released on 16 March. For the first time, the band acquired the talents of a choir, produced and conducted by Randy Slaugh of White Moth Black Butterfly and recorded at Soularium Studios in the U.S. [9] [10] [11] Sonder is the band's shortest studio album at 36 minutes in length. [12] [13]

The inspiration for the album's name came from a fictional word used in The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows . [14]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Luminary"3:12
2."King"6:56
3."Orbital"2:19
4."Juno"5:12
5."Beneath My Skin"5:34
6."Mirror Image"5:47
7."Smile"4:47
8."The Arrow"2:37
Total length:36:24

Personnel

Tesseract

Additional personnel

Charts

Chart performance for Sonder
Chart (2018)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [15] 47
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [16] 31
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [17] 174
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [18] 112
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [19] 48
Scottish Albums (OCC) [20] 35
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [21] 51
UK Albums (OCC) [22] 62
US Billboard 200 [23] 198

Related Research Articles

<i>Power of the Dragonflame</i> 2002 studio album by Rhapsody

Power of the Dragonflame is the fifth studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody. It was released on 23 April 2002 by Limb Music. It is the last chapter in the Emerald Sword Saga. In 2017, Loudwire ranked it as the 9th best power metal album of all time.

<i>Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions</i> 1997 studio album by Kiss

Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions is the seventeenth studio album by American rock band Kiss, released in 1997. It is the band's final album with lead guitarist Bruce Kulick, and their last album with drummer Eric Singer until 2009's Sonic Boom. The album is a departure from the band's classic hard rock style, favoring a dark and dense grunge-oriented sound. It is also the band's last album of their unmasked era.

<i>The Last Command</i> (album) 1985 studio album by W.A.S.P.

The Last Command is the second studio album by the American heavy metal band W.A.S.P., released on October 25, 1985. The album was produced by Spencer Proffer, who was perhaps best known for producing the six-time Platinum selling album Metal Health by Quiet Riot in 1983.

Kscope is an independent record label that is part of Snapper Music, and a sister-label of Peaceville. It is dedicated to artists in the progressive rock genre. The label has released albums by Steven Wilson and his projects Porcupine Tree, No-Man and Blackfield. In 2008 it branched out and has since signed the post-progressive artists Anathema, Lunatic Soul and Ulver, and progressive rock stalwart Ian Anderson to their roster. In 2013, the Steven Wilson release The Raven That Refused to Sing received the Album of the Year award at the Progressive Music Awards.

<i>Polaris</i> (Stratovarius album) 2009 studio album by Stratovarius

Polaris is the twelfth studio album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on 15 May 2009. It is the first Stratovarius album to feature bassist Lauri Porra and guitarist Matias Kupiainen, following former bassist Jari Kainulainen's departure from the band in 2005 and former guitarist Timo Tolkki's departure in 2008.

<i>Elysium</i> (Stratovarius album) 2011 studio album by Stratovarius

Elysium is the thirteenth studio album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on 12 January 2011 through Victor Entertainment (Japan) and on 14 January through Edel AG (worldwide). It is the last Stratovarius album to feature longtime drummer Jörg Michael, who left the band in 2012. Elysium reached No. 1 on the Finnish albums chart, as well as reaching the top 80 in five other countries. "Darkest Hours" was released as a single, reaching No. 4 on the Finnish singles chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tesseract (band)</span> British progressive metal band

Tesseract are a British progressive metal band from Milton Keynes. The band, formed in 2003, consists of Daniel Tompkins, Alec "Acle" Kahney, James Monteith, Amos Williams and Jay Postones. The band is currently signed to Kscope. They are credited as one of the bands to pioneer the djent movement in progressive metal. As of 2023, Tesseract have released five studio albums: One, Altered State, Polaris, Sonder and War of Being, as well as two live albums, Odyssey/Scala and Portals, and the extended plays Concealing Fate, Perspective, Errai and Regrowth.

<i>One</i> (Tesseract album) 2011 studio album by Tesseract

One is the debut studio album by British progressive metal band Tesseract. Released on 22 March 2011, the album features six tracks. The third track, "Concealing Fate", was split into six parts for a total length of twenty seven minutes and forty seconds. This was Tesseract's only full-length release with vocalist Daniel Tompkins until his return in 2014. A bonus track entitled "Hollow" was released digitally to those who pre-ordered One from Century Media.

<i>Periphery II: This Time Its Personal</i> 2012 studio album by Periphery

Periphery II: This Time It's Personal is the second studio album by American progressive metal band Periphery. The album was released on June 29, 2012 through Roadrunner Records in Australia and on July 3 through Sumerian in America. It was produced by Misha Mansoor and Adam Getgood. It is the first record by the band to feature new members Mark Holcomb and Adam "Nolly" Getgood, replacing Alex Bois and Tom Murphy on guitar and bass, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skyharbor</span> Indian/American progressive metal band

Skyharbor is an Indian/American progressive metal band with members from New Delhi and Mumbai, India; and Cleveland, Ohio, US.

<i>Altered State</i> (Tesseract album) 2013 studio album by Tesseract

Altered State is the second studio album by British progressive metal band Tesseract, released on 27 May 2013 on Century Media Records.

<i>Hand. Cannot. Erase.</i> 2015 studio album by Steven Wilson

Hand. Cannot. Erase. is the fourth solo studio album by English musician Steven Wilson. The album was released on 27 February 2015 through Kscope.

<i>Polaris</i> (Tesseract album) 2015 studio album by Tesseract

Polaris is the third studio album by British progressive metal band Tesseract. It was released on 18 September 2015, both digitally and physically on vinyl and CD. There is also a 2-disc version with the album mixed in 5.1 surround sound.

<i>Periphery III: Select Difficulty</i> 2016 studio album by Periphery

Periphery III: Select Difficulty is the fifth studio album by American progressive metal band Periphery. The album was released July 22, 2016 through Sumerian Records, and was produced by Misha Mansoor and Adam Getgood. The opening track, "The Price Is Wrong", was nominated for Best Metal Performance in the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. It is the last album the band released on this label. It is also the last album to feature bassist Adam "Nolly" Getgood as an official member of Periphery before he left the band in 2017, though he still returned on Periphery IV: Hail Stan to produce, engineer, and mix the album, in addition to contributing final bass parts.

<i>Dear Desolation</i> 2017 studio album by Thy Art Is Murder

Dear Desolation is the fourth studio album by Australian deathcore band Thy Art Is Murder. The album was released on 18 August 2017 by Nuclear Blast. The record is the band's last album with founding drummer Lee Stanton, as well as the first to feature Kevin Butler on bass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randy Slaugh</span> American music producer and composer (born 1987)

Randy Slaugh is an American music producer and composer based in Salt Lake City, Utah. He has worked with artists such as Jelly Roll, Sleeping With Sirens, Yelawolf, Skillet, Architects, The Amity Affliction, Periphery, David Archuleta, TesseracT, Devin Townsend, and Four Year Strong, and is a member of Kscope's cross-continental music group White Moth Black Butterfly. In recent years, he has worked on music for television series on Netflix, CBS, NBC, ABC, Hulu, Discovery, ESPN, VH1, and MTV, for video games such as Free Fire, and for ad campaigns for Bombas, NBA, Levi's, and KMC Wheels. Slaugh is part of the Producers & Engineers Wing Committee for the The Recording Academy, and a member of the Sundance Institute, Music Producers Guild, Society of Composers & Lyricists and the Heavy Music Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Moth Black Butterfly</span>

White Moth Black Butterfly is a British/Indian/American cross-continental progressive pop project with members from Nottinghamshire, UK, New Delhi, India, and Salt Lake City, Utah, US. The group consists of TesseracT lead singer Daniel Tompkins, Skyharbor guitarist Keshav Dhar, as well as Randy Slaugh (keyboards/orchestrations), Jordan Bethany (vocals), and Mac Christensen (drums).

<i>Atone</i> (album) 2017 studio album by White Moth Black Butterfly

Atone is the second studio album by the progressive pop group White Moth Black Butterfly, made up of Daniel Tompkins of TesseracT, Keshav Dhar of Skyharbor, Randy Slaugh, Jordan Bethany and Mac Christensen. It was released through Kscope Records on 1 September 2017. The album was recorded in several locations in the UK, India, the US, and Taiwan.

<i>Periphery IV: Hail Stan</i> 2019 studio album by Periphery

Periphery IV: Hail Stan is the sixth studio album by American progressive metal band Periphery. The album was released on April 5, 2019. It is their first album not to be released on Sumerian Records, as the band parted ways with the label in 2018. The album was independently released on the band's own label, 3DOT Recordings. It is also Periphery's first album since the departure of bassist Adam "Nolly" Getgood in 2017, though he still served as producer and performed mixing duties for the album, in addition to performing the final bass parts written by guitarist Misha Mansoor. The album also features live orchestrations and choir from the band's longtime collaborator and arranger Randy Slaugh.

<i>War of Being</i> 2023 studio album by Tesseract

War of Being is the fifth studio album by British progressive metal band Tesseract. The album was released on 15 September 2023 through Kscope. It was self-produced by the band and Peter Miles.

References

  1. ↑ Sonder by Tesseract , retrieved 6 June 2018
  2. ↑ "Sonder - TesseracT | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  3. ↑ "Album Review: TESSERACT Sonder". Metal Injection. 19 April 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  4. ↑ RaduP (11 July 2018). "YOB - Our Raw Heart". Metal Storm. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  5. ↑ Calum Singerland (19 April 2018). "Tesseract - Sonder". Exclaim!. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
  6. 1 2 "Kscope | TesseracT release "Smile" – the new single and lyric video". www.kscopemusic.com. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  7. 1 2 "TESSERACT To Release 'Sonder' Album In April". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. 8 February 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  8. 1 2 "Kscope | TesseracT". www.kscopemusic.com. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  9. ↑ "Behind the TesseracT 'Sonder' Choir Recording Session with Randy Slaugh". 31 July 2018.
  10. ↑ "Randy Slaugh - Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic.
  11. ↑ "Randy Slaugh: Modern Metal's Go-To Composer -". 28 August 2018.
  12. ↑ "Sonder". burningshed.com. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  13. ↑ Sonder by TesseracT on Apple Music, 20 April 2018, retrieved 17 March 2018
  14. ↑ Williams, Eley (27 May 2019). "From anemoia to zagreb: how 'fictionaries' are liberating the word". The Guardian . Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  15. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Tesseract – Sonder". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  16. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Tesseract – Sonder" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  17. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Tesseract – Sonder" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  18. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Tesseract – Sonder" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  19. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Tesseract – Sonder" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  20. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  21. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Tesseract – Sonder". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  22. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  23. ↑ "Tesseract Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.