STONED JESUS have unveiled a full-album stream of Songs to Moon, with The Needle Drop hosting the premiere ahead of its October 16 release through Season of Mist. The seven-song record is the second installment in the band's Songs trilogy, following Songs to Sun, released in 2025.
In Season of Mist's announcement, Igor Sydorenko describes the new material as a move toward more introspective songwriting while retaining the band's heaviness. He compares its direction with Led Zeppelin III, Opeth's Damnation and Alice In Chains' Jar of Flies.
“We started The Songs trilogy last year with Songs to Sun, which is a loud and heavy album that’s big on choruses and meaty riffs,” Sydorenko says. “While still heavy and catchy, Songs to Moon follows a similar trajectory to Led Zeppelin III, Opeth’s Damnation or Jar of Flies by Alice In Chains. The songs are recognizably STONED JESUS, but they are bolder, more haunting and introspective than anything we’ve done before”.
The announcement outlines a sequence that begins with the post-metal weight of “Under the Skin” and moves through the doomgaze of lead single “Velvet.” The latter carries the lyric “Still I’m falling down / From high above,” continuing the existential concerns described in the band's account of Songs to Sun. “Jackal” takes a more theatrical approach, presented by the label as a miniature progressive opera.
At the center of the album, the band introduce their first instrumental, combining a melody from each installment of the trilogy. The closing stretch turns toward acoustic guitar and Sydorenko's quieter vocals, with “Window in My Room” followed by “One More Empty Day.” The full stream places those changes in the context of the complete seven-track sequence.
The recording lineup consists of Sydorenko on vocals, guitar, bass and keyboards; Andrew Rodin on bass and backing vocals; and Yurii Ciel on drums and backing vocals. Sydorenko also produced the album. Andy Rosczyk handled sound engineering at Goblin Sound Studio in Cologne, Germany, while Karl Daniel Lidén mixed and mastered the record at Studio Tri-Lamb in Sweden. Vadym “Karaska” Karasiov created the cover art.
STONED JESUS began in 2009 as Sydorenko's solo project in Kyiv. Their debut, First Communion, arrived in 2010, followed by Seven Thunders Roar in 2012, which included “I’m the Mountain.” Subsequent releases The Harvest and Pilgrims developed the band's alternative and progressive rock interests. Father Light marked their first album for Season of Mist.
The supplied band history places the current trilogy after the shelving of the partially recorded Mother Dark and a lineup change. Sydorenko reunited with drummer Yurii Ciel and added Rodin before the band's 15th anniversary touring cycle. Songs to Sun subsequently received year-end recognition from outlets including Doom Charts and The Obelisk. The new album follows a European co-headlining tour with Wheel and a return to Hellfest.
Physical editions of Songs to Moon include a CD digipak and 12-inch vinyl in black, turquoise, blood moon marbled, and natural transparent with green and purple marbling. The announcement also lists an October 30, 2026 appearance at WeStill Fest in Vallet, France. The live lineup is Sydorenko on vocals and guitar, Rodin on bass and backing vocals, and Ihor Biriuchenko on drums and percussion.
