Following a whirlwind year of touring, The Word Alive is gearing up to release their new album, Hard Reset, on August 25. Giving fans a sneak peek of the latest iteration of their sound, the band paired their album announcement with a new single. The track, titled “Slow Burn,” opens with acoustic guitar plucks and frontman Telle Smith’s smooth vocals. It is on the lighter side of The Word Alive’s ever-evolving sound, but still packs an emotional punch melodically and lyrically.
The album artwork, created by Matt Collamore, depicts a masked figure standing in a ring of fire. Surrounded by a city in destruction, there seem to be tarot cards levitating above the character. While the full meaning of the cover art is unknown, it is reminiscent of The World Alive’s metalcore background and emphasis on eliciting an emotional response from their listeners.
While Hard Reset marks their seventh studio album, it is their first record release with Thriller Records. Home to bands like The Home Team, In Her Own Words, and Honey Revenge, the label seems to be the perfect fit to continue The Word Alive’s legacy while appealing to the next generation of emo kids. Sharing his excitement and appreciation for the band’s entire team, Telle Smith shared an emotional Instagram post about the album.
“I’ll go way more into this at some point but today I just would love your support for what has been the most challenging and yet most rewarding album of my life,” he writes.
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In addition to the single and album announcement, the band has released exclusive merch bundles on their webstore. From t-shirts and hoodies to pins and shorts, fans can preorder the record and grab some new designs now. Vinyl preorders will come soon, according to the band’s official Instagram post.
Listen to “Slow Burn” below and let us know what you think!
