Emmy- and BAFTA Award-winning composer Bear McCreary continues to expand the scope of his symphonic metal universe with the upcoming release of The Singularity: Ekleipsis, the next chapter in his ambitious rock-driven saga.
Following the 2024 release of The Singularity, a concept album that brought together an impressive roster of rock and metal talent—including Serj Tankian, Corey Taylor, and Rufus Wainwright—the project returns with an even broader lineup of high-profile collaborators. The new album arrives on July 31 via Sparks & Shadows Records and Mutant, and continues the story of a fractured world descending further into chaos and emotional collapse.
The Singularity: Ekleipsis deepens the narrative, exploring themes of disillusionment, survival, and endurance in the face of collapse. The album title itself comes from the ancient Greek word meaning “abandonment,” reflecting the tone of a world pushed to its limits. McCreary once again co-writes much of the material with his brother Brendan McCreary, who also contributes vocals throughout the record.
This new installment also raises the stakes in terms of guest appearances, assembling what is essentially a cross-generational roster of rock and metal icons. The lineup includes Joseph Duplantier, Patrick Stump, Claudio Sanchez, Jens Kidman, Alissa White-Gluz, Tim Henson, Steve Vai, Slash, Duff McKagan, Chad Smith, Stewart Copeland, and many more, each adding their own distinct voice and identity to McCreary’s evolving sonic world.
Today, McCreary has unveiled one of the album’s most talked-about collaborations: “Cool Kids,” featuring Slash, Duff McKagan, Chad Smith, and Brendan McCreary.
McCreary commented on the track’s origins, describing a spontaneous creative spark that quickly turned into a full-band collaboration: “‘Cool Kids’ was born when Duff McKagan sent me a voice memo of a riff he was messing around with. My ears perked up instantly — his riff was undeniable! So Duff and I went into the studio the next week along with my brother, vocalist Brendan McCreary, and Chad Smith from Red Hot Chili Peppers and wrote the song together. We went in with Duff’s initial riff and our enthusiasm, and walked out with ‘Cool Kids’. When Slash got back into town, he added his signature screaming guitar parts, and there it was.
“‘Cool Kids’ is a song about all of us being proudly who we are, but I wouldn’t blame anybody for assuming the title was inspired by the fact that Brendan and I got to create this song with the coolest kids in rock and roll.”
The album’s full track listing further highlights the scale and ambition of the project, spanning orchestral elements, progressive metal textures, and guest-driven compositions:
01. Overture II
02. Our Kingdom (feat. Alissa White-Gluz and Brendan McCreary)
03. The Chandelier (feat. Patrick Stump)
04. Black Box (Feat. Joe Duplantier and The Mystery Of The Bulgarian Voices)
05. Kill Us Anyway (feat. Brendan McCreary)
06. Sweet Misery (feat. Claudio Sanchez and Tim Henson)
07. Blueshift (feat. Steve Vai, Tim Henson, and Brendan McCreary)
08. Alexandria (feat. Raya Yarbrough and Guthrie Govan)
09. Pray For A Storm (feat. Stewart Copeland and Brendan McCreary)
10. Supernova (feat. N.T. Bullock)
11. Cool Kids (feat. Slash, Duff McKagan, Chad Smith, and Brendan McCreary)
12. Shades Of Gray (feat. Brendan McCreary)
13. The Elephant’s Foot (feat. Jens Kidman)
14. One Fine Day (feat. Slash and Brendan McCreary)
15. I Forever (feat. Brendan McCreary)
McCreary will also hit the road this summer, joined by his band: Brendan McCreary (vocals), Johanna Kurkela (violin, vocals), Gene Hoglan (drums), Pete Griffin (bass), and Omer Ben-Zvi (guitars). The tour begins in Europe in July and August, and heads to the North American West Coast in September.
Bear McCreary tour dates
Europe
July 25, 2026 – Dublin, Ireland – Opium
July 26, 2026 – Manchester, United Kingdom – Club Academy
July 27, 2026 – Glasgow, United Kingdom – Saint Luke’s
July 28, 2026 – London, United Kingdom – Islington Assembly Hall
July 30, 2026 – Eindhoven, Netherlands – Effenaar
July 31, 2026 – Wacken, Germany – Wacken Open Air Festival
August 2, 2026 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Pumpehuset
August 4, 2026 – Oslo, Norway – Vulkan Arena
August 5, 2026 – Stockholm, Sweden – Slaktkyrkan
August 7, 2026 – Helsinki, Finland – Tavastia
North America
September 8, 2026 – Portland, United States – Roseland Theater
September 9, 2026 – Seattle, United States – The Crocodile
September 10, 2026 – Vancouver, Canada – The Rickshaw Theatre
September 13, 2026 – San Francisco, United States – Great American Music Hall
September 15, 2026 – San Diego, United States – The Magnolia
September 16, 2026 – Phoenix, United States – Walter Studios
September 17, 2026 – Los Angeles, United States – The Belasco
