DYING LIGHT have introduced “Dust” as the first single and video from The Wicked Crow, their forthcoming nine-track album. The New Jersey band’s album is scheduled for independent release on April 23, 2027; “Dust” was released as a single on October 26, 2026.
The announcement distributed by C-Squared Music places the song’s narrative around a confrontation involving lethal power. The supplied notes explain: “An emotional plea gives way to a tense exchange.” They describe blues-influenced guitar and bass in the verses, followed by melodic choruses arranged around call-and-response vocals. These descriptions accompany the announcement’s account of a character experiencing emotional emptiness.
The remaining album notes address mortality, ideological manipulation, loss and violence through arrangements rooted in hard rock and heavy metal. The opening title track concerns the final moments following a violent encounter. Its supplied musical description points to 1990s hard rock influences and a concluding blues guitar solo.
“New Religion” examines the exploitation of the human need for worship. The announcement describes it as “a criticism of ideological manipulation using religion as a metaphor for any belief system that demands unquestioned loyalty.” Heavy riffs and percussion form the arrangement outlined in the song notes.
“Your Roses” addresses regret, love, loss and mortality. Its description combines clean and distorted guitars with piano layers and acoustic passages. For “The Beautiful Ones,” the announcement emphasizes progressive elements and contrasts between clean guitars, heavier sections, dynamic changes and vocal melodies.
“Witchery” considers how people separate themselves from others and demonize what they do not understand. The supplied notes describe eerie tones and clean guitars preceding a full-band arrangement and an old-school metal breakdown. “The Fire,” which follows it in the running order, turns toward renewal through shared struggle. The announcement describes that theme as “burning away the old to become something new,” with a fast groove giving way to clean tones and melodic vocals.
“Autumn” focuses on accepting loss after someone has died. The announcement explains: “It frames the fact that endings are part of a natural cycle even when they are heart breaking.” Its musical notes describe an arrangement that develops toward guitar solos. Closing track “DYKMN” addresses destruction, self-destruction and recurring human violence, with a dissonant introduction leading into a heavy groove, according to the supplied description.
Charlie Berezansky produced, mixed and mastered The Wicked Crow at Rival Sound. The announced track sequence is:
- The Wicked Crow
- New Religion
- Dust
- Your Roses
- The Beautiful Ones
- Witchery
- The Fire
- Autumn
- DYKMN
The announcement lists DYING LIGHT’s current lineup as Jeff Ross on lead vocals, Jim Haldenwang and Chris Fritz on guitars and vocals, Shaun Dilliplane on drums, and Jake Whittaker on bass.
