Alternative metallers ENTHEOS have announced their new studio album, "Empty On The Inside," arriving October 23 via Metal Blade Records, and unveiled first single and video "Golden Crown," out now on all streaming platforms.
Vocalist Chaney Crabb said the song took years to land in its final form. "'Golden Crown' is a song that we spent a few years writing and re-writing until we felt that we really had it right," she said, revealing the chorus dates back to 2020, long before work began on the album proper, but proved strong enough that the band built the rest of the song and single choice around it. Crabb described the writing process as a deliberate channeling of '90s influences, aiming for "a 'heavier' version of a '90s rock song that included creepy synths, huge chorus and an explosive breakdown."
Lyrically, Crabb said the track explores losing oneself inside a destructive relationship that feels simultaneously empowering and imprisoning. "The lyric, 'I've worn you like a golden crown year after year,' represents a burden that is destroying you, but has also become how you define yourself," she said.
"Empty On The Inside" marks what the band calls its most ambitious and fully realized album to date. The lineup pairs Crabb — also known as the voice of Jill Valentine in "Dead By Daylight" — with multi-instrumentalist Navene Koperweis (ex-ANIMALS AS LEADERS, ANIMOSITY) and guitarists Scott Carstairs (FALLUJAH) and Michael Stancel (ALLEGAEON). The band described the record as a statement piece built around prioritizing "authentic performances and our individual voices as musicians over hyper-polished modern production," aiming to recapture the raw energy of '90s rock and metal while pushing the band's progressive musicianship into tighter, hookier songwriting.
The album was produced by Mark Lewis (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, FALLUJAH, WHITECHAPEL) and mastered by Justin Sturtz at Sterling Sound, with cover art from Zac Shiffer (NINE INCH NAILS, BEHEMOTH, SOUNDGARDEN). The tracklist runs: "Hell Is A Part Of Me," "Empty On The Inside," "Hollow," "Call My Name," "Golden Crown," "Undone," "Tomblight" (feat. Michael Lessard), "Pale Faith," "Never Let Me Go" and "The Earth Will Move."
ENTHEOS is currently out supporting JINJER's North American "Duél Tour" alongside CRYSTAL LAKE — the band's highest-profile run yet, following a 2025 headlining trek that saw multiple sold-out shows and repeated venue upgrades. Reviews of the current tour have been strong: All Music Magazine praised Crabb's "seamless blend of ferocious gutturals, piercing screams, and melodic textures," while Metal Insider called the band's live show simply "a blast to see." The run continues through July 24 in Las Vegas.
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Stream/purchase "Golden Crown": https://www.metalblade.com/entheos/
Remaining ENTHEOS w/ JINJER, CRYSTAL LAKE dates: 7/17/2026 – INKcarceration, Mansfield, OH* 7/19/2026 – House of Blues, Chicago, IL 7/21/2026 – Summit, Denver, CO** 7/22/2026 – Revel, Albuquerque, NM** 7/24/2026 – House of Blues, Las Vegas, NV**
*Festival date **No Crystal Lake