US-based rising instrumental progressive metal act Sometime In February will release their new studio album, Where Mountains Hide, on 21st March 2025 via the record label InsideOutMusic/Sony Music. Ahead out that, out now, is their latest single ‘Palantir’, accompanied by a brand-new video you can watch here at RAMzine.
The band commented of the album and single release, saying: “We are so excited to announce our sophomore record, and our debut with InsideOutMusic, Where Mountains Hide. It’s been a long time in the making, our biggest accomplishment, and our boldest statement. Once we signed with the label, we knew we had to step up our game to keep up with the legendary names on their roster.
“Alongside this announcement comes our lead single, ‘Palantir’. It was the first track written for our new album, and it sets the tone for the record as a whole. We feel it is the definitive sound for Sometime In February in our current state, and we are so excited for everyone to hear this single and the rest of the album, and for everyone to see it live in person very soon.”
In 2023, the band introduced themselves with their first single under InsideOut, titled ‘Hiding Place’, that showcased their melodic approach. Now, with a full album of new material, Sometime In February presents 11 tracks, from the fusion-metal opener ‘Palantir’ to the progressive complexity of ‘Outside In’ to the blues-infused, prog-metal closer ‘Funeral House.’
The full track listing being: ‘Palantir’, ‘Mourning Bird’, ‘The Bad Fight’, ‘Outside In’, ‘What Was Heard’, ‘What Was Said’, ‘Phantom Sea’, ‘Bury You’, ‘Homeworld I: Green Mountain’, ‘Homeworld II: Dislodged’, ‘Funeral House’ and bonus track ‘There Is Nothing Here But Technology’.
Where Mountains Hide will be available as a limited CD digipak, limited edition coloured vinyl (both including bonus track) and as a digital album. It can be ordered now from here.
Originally founded as an instrumental solo project for guitarist Tristan Auman in 2020, Sometime In February became a fully rounded prog rock trio with the addition of drummer Scott Barber and bassist Morgan Johnson after making the jump from studio to stage following the release of their EP Here Goes in 2021. The Carolina-based group has kept their foot on the gas ever since, touring throughout the Southeast US and releasing their follow-up, the debut LP There Goes, in 2023.
The trio’s connections extend into the progressive music world, featuring collaborations with Between The Buried And Me members Paul Waggoner and Dan Briggs. Auman had been working for Waggoner in a local coffee shop. Waggoner went to see the band and was impressed by their live performance. He later invited Auman to fill in alongside him on BTBAM gigs. In return, Waggoner contributed to the track ‘The Bad Fight’ and appeared in the music video for what became a single. “The song came together quickly, and as soon as it was written we knew we had to pull out all the stops for it,” explained the band. “We asked our friend Paul Waggoner of Between The Buried And Me to feature on it with a guest solo that is pitch perfect. Eric Guenther of The Contortionist contributed keys, synths, and sound design to take it to the next level. Dan Briggs, also of BTBAM, sprinkled additional sound design on top. And of course, we love to feature saxophone when we can, so our friend Rich Castillo of The Callous Daoboys added his touch to create a tasteful layer.”
You can stream the track here and check out the video here at RAMzine – It was filmed by Luke Gura inside a courthouse near the band’s hometown.
Briggs added a unique touch, playing textural elements and additional instruments like mandolin, rather than bass. The BTBAM connection also extended to the album’s mixing, handled by engineer Jamie King, who previously worked with Scott Barber’s former band, Trees On Mars. “Tristan knew right away he wanted to work with Jamie, and I was all for it,” Scott said. “Jamie was great in the studio with a positive vibe the whole time.”
To enhance the album’s sound design, the band brought in Eric Guenther, keyboardist for The Contortionist. “We discussed sound design, and The Contortionist was at the top of our list,” Johnson explained. “Eric was our first choice, and he was on board right away. He had seen Tristan on the BTBAM tour, and he elevated the entire project with his contributions.”
For Auman Where Mountains Hide represents a step forward, with an uplifting and optimistic feel. “For this album, I wanted the songs to stand alone more, instead of making everything flow together like typical prog albums. But in the end, it naturally felt cohesive. The album has a grand and fantastical vibe, and with instrumental music, it can be challenging to create a specific atmosphere, but that’s what I aimed for.”
The band’s previous single release was ‘Outside In’ about which the band commented: “’Outside In’ is one of Sometime In February’s proverbial kitchen sink tracks. There’s a little bit of everything we are in it. It takes us high in the mountains and back to sea level multiple times throughout its runtime. It’s heavy, melodic, and ever so complicated, making it increasingly unpredictable as it goes on. It’s also one of our few current seven-stringed guitar songs, and we always add a little more elbow grease in our songs featuring them.”
You can listen to the track here and check out the video below.
Signing their worldwide record deal with InsideOutMusic last year, and the band commented: “We are thrilled to be signing to the world’s premier label for progressive music, InsideOutMusic. Sometime in February wouldn’t exist without many of the artists on their roster, and it’s an honor to stand beside them. Thomas Waber has been supportive and encouraging to us for some time now, and we’re excited that we found the right moment to work together and make InsideOutMusic the home for the next era of Sometime in February.”
InsideOutMusic label-head Thomas Waber added: “We are extremely excited to be working alongside this talented young US band. After talking to them for a while, it felt like now was the right time to welcome them to the fold, and on the evidence of the new track ‘Hiding Place’, bright things are ahead!”
‘Hiding Place’, is another track that you can listen to here and check out the video for here at RAMzine
