On November 16th, some six years after their self titled debut, American progressive metal outfit SPEAKING TO STONES expands their sound and lineup with their new release, Elements.

After the release of Speaking To Stones’ 2006 self-titled debut, guitarist Tony Vinci began work on a more progressive project that called for a new group of musicians. Speaking To Stones’ current lineup includes:

Andy Engberg (SECTION A) - vocals

Mark Zonder (FATES WARNING) - drums

Greg Putnam (JAM PAIN SOCIETY) - bass

Anthony Brown (GRAPHITE SYMPHONY) - keyboards

Between 2009 and 2012, this cast of international performers collaborated on the five thematically-linked tracks that make up the band’s 2012 release, Elements. The result is a musical narrative that builds on groove metal roots and develops into a soundscape of symphonic complexity and technically prodigious performances.

Elements is a metaphysical journey that explores our relationship to the physical world and our hopes to become part of something more. Musically and lyrically, the album delivers us into the extremes of our experience—from the infernal intensity of 'Fire' to the ambiguous peace of 'Water' to the ethereal tonalities of 'Quinta Essentia', Elements creates a new world.

Tony Vinci comments, “The goal in writing Elements was to craft a type of thematic concept album that doesn’t necessarily tell a single story, but inspires a collection of themes and moods that work together to create a diverse but unifying musical and lyrical experience. Also, we wanted to present a truly international CD that blends the best of American progressive with the best of European metal. The way to achieve this was to write the skeletons of the songs and then let each musician transform them with their individual talents and voices. While each song balances itself between each instrument, one could listen to the whole CD while focusing on a different element (guitars, bass, drums, etc.) and hear a brand new CD each time.”

The Elements album sampler is available below: