North Sea Echoes — featuring progressive metal pioneers Ray Alder of Fates Warning and guitarist Jim Matheos — have released their new studio album, How To Cast A Shadow, available now on Metal Blade Records.

The album includes the single 'I’ll Leave A Light On,' which the band has premiered via a music video.

Alder revealed that the track 'I’ll Leave A Light On' is significantly heavier than anything on their 2024 album Really Good Terrible Things, with a darker, melancholic tone.

He stated, "I loosely based the lyrics on a character from my favorite sci-fi series.

I won’t say which, but they do use the quote ‘out there in the black.’" Matheos added, "This record is a bit heavier,” asserting that several songs feature real drums, played by Dennis Leeflang.

"It wasn’t necessarily intentional or planned, just the way things shaped up and how they emerged this time." The new album expands on the band’s identity, showcasing a broader range of musical textures.

Tracks like 'All That Comes After,' 'A Time Of Innocence And Purpose,' and the ballad 'Villains Or Saints' demonstrate a genre-defying evolution from their debut release.

How To Cast A Shadow is available on CD and digital formats.

The full tracklist includes: 'A Time Of Innocence And Purpose,' 'Enjoy The View,' 'Good Enough,' 'I’ll Leave A Light On,' 'All Fall Away,' 'Revenge,' 'Villains Or Saints,' 'What Is And What Was,' 'All That Comes After,' and 'How To Cast A Shadow.' Preview and purchase the album at http://www.metalblade.com/northseaechoes." Separately, Voices of Extreme has released their first single, 'Stoned Babies,' on BraveWords Records.

The single has received praise from Iridium Rock and Metal Reviews, which stated, "I love everything about it… Can’t wait to hear more from them… Fucking brilliant… Beautiful song." The full Voices of Extreme album is set for release in 2026."