Dutch progressive juggernaut TEXTURES just dropped a haunting comeback album on January 23rd, 2026. Released on KScope, “Genotype” marks the band’s first new album in six years after their disbandment. It almost slipped past my radar entirely – well, it would have had I not been tipped off just the other day to check it out pronto. As the title instantly suggests to the band’s longtime fans, the album is a conceptual counterpart to their 2016 affair “Phenotype.” Rumor had it that a new album under this very title was already in the making when the band announced their split back in the day, but this new selection is not related to the material from those old sessions; the band wrote this album entirely from scratch. So, perhaps its title suggests something even more; by definition, phenotype stands for an organism’s observable characteristics, whereas genotype refers to its deeper molecular structure. Thus, we are tempted to think that this new endeavor is not only a mission statement from a band coming back to life but a selection of new songs that distill the very essence of the band’s DNA with a newfound vigor. Then, as if this weren’t enough to hype me up already, I read that the album was mixed by Forrester Savell, whose sonic handiwork has adorned albums from Australian prog acts such as KARNIVOOL and DEAD LETTER CIRCUS. As it happens, that distinct “Aussie-prog sound” is something that tickles the ears in a particularly delicious manner, so let’s dive in!
The first teaser from the album, “Closer to the Unknown,” was released a few months ago, and had its launch pinged on my music radar, I’m pretty sure I would have gone totally bonkers about it. While the song is a tad less progressive – that is, not so infested with bouncy djent-riffs – than some of those old bangers, and vocals seem to have taken the center stage quite prominently, I like this “new sound” a lot! There are lots of progressive twists and turns on the album later on, so we needn’t fear that the band is going to go full-on radio pop anytime soon. The original idea for the sequel to “Phenotype” was to release one 45-minute composition, but now, it is quite evident that the album packs more punch with eight individual songs. The ebb and flow between the high-octane prog outbursts and these somewhat more “radio-friendly” riffers works wonders. The music breathes. I’m not saying this is impossible to achieve with one gargantuan epic, but 45 minutes would have been quite a stretch.
The second single, “At the Edge of Winter,” is even more impressive. The novel aspect here is the guest appearance of Charlotte Wessels (ex-DELAIN) on vocals. Her vocals, paired with Daniël de Jongh, are like the combination of garlic and oregano in a marinara sauce – nothing particularly exotic, but still extremely effective, a match made in heaven, if you will. Apparently, the less TEXTURES tries to adhere to the djenty standard of modern prog-metal, the more interesting the music sounds. I mean, the symphonic-metal aura that comes from Wessels‘ vocals is not something that you would normally come across on an album like this – and I have no clue why, since it works this well. The combo of emo screams and djenty riffs is so yesterday, to be honest. There are harsh vocals on this album, too, don’t get me wrong, but they are a more nuanced affair altogether, ranging from throaty gutturals to hard-rock-tinged rasps. A case in point, “Measuring the Heavens” rolls out the whole gamut of vocal timbres, even some Vodocer stuff, and paired with the proggy riffs, the song is one of the absolute highlights of the album – epic in the sense of vintage KARNIVOOL. During the 10-year gap between albums, I had totally forgotten how versatile and powerful vocalist de Jongh really is. “Phenotype” rolled out pretty impressive growls and clean vocals already, but on this new endeavor, the vocals sound even more refined.
That said, the same applies to the band’s songwriting, in general. Chugging polyrhythms and celestial keyboard textures are sprinkled over the album in just the right places, and there is a certain touch of cinematic storytelling in the music. In this respect, this new TEXTURES offering is like a spiritual cousin to EARTHSIDE‘s latest album, “Let the Truth Speak” from 2023 – a magnificent journey through different emotions. Thus, it works best when you listen to it, from start to finish, in one go, from the expansive, almost Devin Townsend-esque soundscapes in the opener, “Void,” and all the way to the slinky, Middle-Eastern flourishes of the anthemic closer, “Walls of the Soul.” While the bedrock of the band’s sound still remains in the djent-influenced prog-metal realm, TEXTURES has evolved into a unique niche of its own, much like TESSERACT. I reckon the band could not have made a better album to announce: we’re so back!
Written by Jani Lehtinen
Tracklist
- Void
- At the Edge of Winter
- Measuring the Heavens
- Nautical Dust
- Vanishing Twin
- Closer to the Unknown
- A Seat For the Like-Minded
- Walls of the Soul
Lineup
Daniel de Jongh – vocals
Stef Broks – drums
Bart Hennephof – guitars
Remko Tielemans – bass
Uri Dijk – keyboards
Joe Tal – guitars
Label
KScope
