Sonder (Tesseract album)
Sonder is the fourth studio album by British progressive metal band Tesseract. It was released on 20 April 2018 through Kscope, following Polaris (2015).
Sonder | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 20 April 2018 | |||
Recorded | 2017 | |||
Studio | 4D Sounds (Milton Keynes, UK); Celestial Sound Chicago, Illinois) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 36:24 | |||
Label | Kscope | |||
Producer |
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Tesseract chronology | ||||
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Singles from Sonder | ||||
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Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 70/100[1] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Metal Injection | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Metal Storm | 8.0/10[4] |
Exclaim! | 8/10[5] |
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
![](../I/Randy_Slaugh_TesseracT_Choir.jpg.webp)
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. | Title | Length |
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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
- Daniel Tompkins – lead vocals
- Acle Kahney – lead guitar, production, recording, mixing, mastering
- James 'Metal' Monteith – rhythm guitar
- Amos Williams – bass, growls, backing vocals, cover art
- Jay Postones – drums, percussion
Additional personnel
- Tesseract – production
- Aidan O'Brien – production, engineering
- Randy Slaugh – choir production, conducting
Charts
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 |
References
- Sonder by Tesseract, retrieved 6 June 2018
- "Sonder - TesseracT | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- "Album Review: TESSERACT Sonder". Metal Injection. 19 April 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- RaduP (11 July 2018). "YOB - Our Raw Heart". Metal Storm. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
- Calum Singerland (19 April 2018). "Tesseract - Sonder". Exclaim!. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
- "Kscope | TesseracT release "Smile" – the new single and lyric video". www.kscopemusic.com. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
- "TESSERACT To Release 'Sonder' Album In April". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. 8 February 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
- "Kscope | TesseracT". www.kscopemusic.com. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
- "Behind the TesseracT 'Sonder' Choir Recording Session with Randy Slaugh". 31 July 2018.
- "Randy Slaugh - Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic.
- "Randy Slaugh: Modern Metal's Go-To Composer -". 28 August 2018.
- "Sonder". burningshed.com. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
- Sonder by TesseracT on Apple Music, 20 April 2018, retrieved 17 March 2018
- Williams, Eley (27 May 2019). "From anemoia to zagreb: how 'fictionaries' are liberating the word". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
- "Australiancharts.com – Tesseract – Sonder". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
- "Austriancharts.at – Tesseract – Sonder" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
- "Ultratop.be – Tesseract – Sonder" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
- "Ultratop.be – Tesseract – Sonder" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
- "Offiziellecharts.de – Tesseract – Sonder" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
- "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
- "Swisscharts.com – Tesseract – Sonder". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
- "Tesseract Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 May 2018.