Sonder (Tesseract album)
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Sonder
| type = studio
| artist = Tesseract
| cover = Sonder - Tesseract.jpg
| alt =
| released = 20 April 2018
| recorded = 2017
| venue =
| studio = 4D Sounds (Milton Keynes, UK); Celestial Sound Chicago, Illinois)
| genre =
| length = 36:24
| label = Kscope
| producer =
- Acle Kahney
- Aidan O'Brien
- Tesseract
| prev_title = Polaris
| prev_year = 2016
| next_title = War of Being
| next_year = 2023
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Sonder
| type = studio
| single1 = Smile
| single1date = 23 June 2017
| single2 = Luminary
| single2date = 8 February 2018
| single3 = King
| single3date = 16 March 2018
}}
}}
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/sonder-mw0003150208|title=Sonder - TesseracT {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic|website=AllMusic|access-date=2018-06-06}}
| MC = 70/100{{Citation|title=Sonder by Tesseract|url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/sonder/tesseract|accessdate=2018-06-06}}
| rev2 = Metal Injection
| rev2score = {{Rating|8.5|10}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.metalinjection.net/reviews/tesseract-sonder|title=Album Review: TESSERACT Sonder|date=2018-04-19|work=Metal Injection|access-date=2018-06-06|language=en-US}}
| rev3 = Metal Storm
|rev4 = Exclaim!
}}
Sonder is the fourth studio album by British progressive metal band Tesseract. It was released on 20 April 2018 through Kscope, following Polaris (2015).
Tesseract began recording the album in 2017, releasing its first single, "Smile", on 23 June, with the intention of reworking it for Sonder.{{Cite web|url=http://www.kscopemusic.com/2017/06/23/tesseract-release-smile-the-new-single-and-lyric-video/|title=Kscope {{!}} TesseracT release "Smile" – the new single and lyric video|website=www.kscopemusic.com|access-date=2018-03-17}} The album's lead single, "Luminary", was released on 8 February 2018, the same day the album was announced.{{Cite news|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/tesseract-to-release-sonder-album-in-april/|title=TESSERACT To Release 'Sonder' Album In April|date=2018-02-08|work=BLABBERMOUTH.NET|access-date=2018-03-17}} It is notably the band's first full-length release to not feature a lineup change from the previous album.
Background
File:Randy Slaugh TesseracT Choir.jpg]]
Sonder marks Tesseract's second consecutive release and third overall with the original vocalist, Daniel Tompkins, who first appeared on their debut studio album, One (2011), and later, Polaris. A concept album, Sonder was described by Tompkins as "exploring a deep and devouring sense of insignificance".{{Cite web|url=http://www.kscopemusic.com/artists/tesseract/|title=Kscope {{!}} TesseracT|website=www.kscopemusic.com|access-date=2018-03-17}} "Smile" was released by the band on 23 June 2017, and was described as their "most collaborative track in recent times", but was intended to be reworked and extended for the album.
The album was originally announced on 8 February 2018, with the simultaneous release of its lead single, "Luminary", and the music video for "King" (directed by Kyle Kadow and Steven Cleavland in Wisconsin) being released on 16 March. For the first time, the band acquired the talents of a choir, produced and conducted by Randy Slaugh of White Moth Black Butterfly and recorded at Soularium Studios in the U.S.
{{cite web|url=http://everythingisnoise.net/features/behind-the-tesseract-sonder-choir-recording-session-with-randy-slaugh/|title=Behind the TesseracT 'Sonder' Choir Recording Session with Randy Slaugh|date=31 July 2018|publisher=}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/randy-slaugh-mn0002656808|title=Randy Slaugh - Credits - AllMusic|website=AllMusic}}{{cite web|url=http://rollingstoneindia.com/randy-slaugh-modern-metal-composer/|title=Randy Slaugh: Modern Metal’s Go-To Composer -|date=28 August 2018|publisher=}} Sonder is the band's shortest studio album at 36 minutes in length.{{Cite web|url=https://burningshed.com/store/kscope/tesseract_sonder_cd?filter_tag=Sonder&filter_category_id=66|title=Sonder|website=burningshed.com|access-date=2018-03-17}}{{Citation|title=Sonder by TesseracT on Apple Music|date=2018-04-20|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/sonder/1341084087|access-date=2018-03-17}}
The inspiration for the album's name came from a fictional word used in The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows.{{cite news |last=Williams |first=Eley |date=May 27, 2019 |title=From anemoia to zagreb: how 'fictionaries' are liberating the word |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/may/27/from-anemoia-to-zagreb-fictionary-dictionary |work=The Guardian |access-date=July 12, 2021}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| title1 = Luminary
| length1 = 3:12
| title2 = King
| length2 = 6:56
| title3 = Orbital
| length3 = 2:19
| title4 = Juno
| length4 = 5:12
| title5 = Beneath My Skin
| length5 = 5:34
| title6 = Mirror Image
| length6 = 5:47
| title7 = Smile
| length7 = 4:47
| title8 = The Arrow
| length8 = 2:37
| total_length = 36:24
}}
Personnel
Tesseract
- Daniel Tompkins – lead vocals
- Acle Kahney – lead guitar, production, recording, mixing, mastering
- James 'Metal' Monteith – rhythm guitar
- Amos Williams – bass, growls, backing vocals, cover art
- Jay Postones – drums, percussion
Additional personnel
- Tesseract – production
- Aidan O'Brien – production, engineering
- Randy Slaugh – choir production, conducting
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Chart performance for Sonder ! scope="col"| Chart (2018) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| {{album chart|Australia|47|artist=Tesseract|album=Sonder|rowheader=true|accessdate=2 November 2022}} |
| {{album chart|Austria|31|artist=Tesseract|album=Sonder|rowheader=true|accessdate=3 May 2018}} |
| {{album chart|Flanders|174|artist=Tesseract|album=Sonder|rowheader=true|accessdate=27 April 2018}} |
| {{album chart|Wallonia|112|artist=Tesseract|album=Sonder|rowheader=true|accessdate=27 April 2018}} |
| {{album chart|Germany4|48|id=356430|artist=Tesseract|album=Sonder|rowheader=true|accessdate=27 April 2018}} |
| {{album chart|Scotland|35|date=20180427|rowheader=true|accessdate=28 April 2018}} |
| {{album chart|Switzerland|51|artist=Tesseract|album=Sonder|rowheader=true|accessdate=2 May 2018}} |
| {{album chart|UK2|62|date=20180427|rowheader=true|accessdate=28 April 2018}} |
| {{album chart|Billboard200|198|artist=Tesseract|rowheader=true|accessdate=1 May 2018}} |