The official music video for STARKILL’s ‘Death On Display’ introduces the first single from Hanging Up My Halo, due January 22, 2027. Released October 9, 2026, the song is available across major streaming platforms, with its accompanying video on YouTube.
Drummer Spencer Weidner describes the track’s musical direction through a combination of melody, thrash and orchestration: ‘I wanted to write something melodic and thrashy, but with the symphonic flare you’d find in an Elden Ring or Legend of Zelda boss fight.’ He says some of the forthcoming album’s material has been in development for the better part of a decade, with repeated revisions intended to let each track stand on its own.
For guitarist and vocalist Parker Jameson, the process also involved abandoning an entire earlier record. ‘We actually pulled a Dethklok where we wrote an entire record, trashed it, and started over,’ he explains. ‘It was one of those moments where we sat down, put our heads in our hands, and ultimately decided it wasn’t the right direction.’
Jameson says the new cycle concentrates on the fast dual-guitar work, symphonic arrangements and choruses associated with STARKILL, stripping away clutter to make those elements hit harder. The announcement presents Hanging Up My Halo as a return to the band’s melodic death metal roots, combining guitar leads and double-bass drumming with cinematic orchestral arrangements.
Francesco Ferrini of Fleshgod Apocalypse provided symphonic production across every track. Aleksi Munter, associated with Swallow the Sun and Insomnium, contributed synths to the title track. Jameson mixed the album, Chuck Macak handled drum mixing, and Troy Glessner mastered it.
Album pre-orders and exclusive merchandise packages are available through the band’s website.
STARKILL’s debut, Fires of Life, arrived in 2013. Founders Spencer Weidner and Parker Jameson wrote it while still in their teens, drawing on early influences including Amon Amarth and DragonForce. The 2014 follow-up, Virus of the Mind, introduced clean vocals and followed international tours with Wintersun and Amorphis.
The third record, Shadow Sleep, developed the band’s hook-driven structures and vocal versatility. Released in 2019, Gravity featured guest production from Coen Janssen of Epica, Aleksi Munter and Olli Vänskä of Turisas.
Following a pandemic hiatus, STARKILL resumed live momentum with an appearance at 2024’s Mad With Power Fest. Subsequent North American performances included shows alongside Edge of Paradise and an appearance at Canada’s Loud As Hell Open Air festival. Following its 2026 touring activity, the band is booking for 2027 and beyond.
The lineup consists of Spencer Weidner on drums, Parker Jameson and Tony Keathley on guitar and vocals, Sarah Lynn on vocals, and Kevin Spielmann on bass.
