HOAXED are proud to announce their sophomore album ‘Death Knocks,’ due out February 13, 2026 via Relapse. Three years in the making, the group, featuring vocalist/guitarist Kat Keo, drummer Kim Coffel, and new bassist/vocalist April Dimmick, hone their twilight-fed, song-driven dark rock to perfection. To celebrate the announcement, the album’s lead single and opening track, “Where the Seas Fall Silent,” is available now alongside an official music video, available below.
On their upcoming album ‘Death Knocks,’ HOAXED comments:
“‘Death Knocks’ is an exploration of what comes next. The songs speak to experiences on the edge of death, last moments in this plane, and trepidations, curiosities, and embrace of the unknown”
“We’ve added another element to the writing and collaboration process,” the band continues. “April comes from a classic heavy metal background, and her influence is in these songs. We’ve also had experiences on tour that have helped shape these songs. You can hear influence from the bands we toured with and learned from. We played together for three years as we wrote this album, and we learned a lot about our styles, and our sound evolved naturally together on stage. So, when we sat down to write this album, it didn’t feel like a departure or a change.”
Anchored by the witchy spell of opener “Where the Seas Fall Silent,” the rock-hardened groove of “Kill Switch,” and the dimly lit power pop of “The Family,” HOAXED raise the tempo, sharpen the edges (with Dimmick’s raspy menace adding real bite), and deepen their ties to the golden gods of heavy metal. Cyclical riffs, dynamic rhythms, and bottom-heavy bass propel ‘Death Knocks’ through its filmic, hard-nosed gloom, and Keo’s sorcerous vocal hooks seal the deal. Often smartly paired with Dimmick’s angels-and-demons contrast, her performance moves between fragility and potency across the album’s alluring expanse.HOAXED recorded ‘Death Knocks’ at Falcon Recording Studios with producer and engineer Gabe Johnston (Unto Others, Vintersea) and enlisted Arthur Rizk (Power Trip, Kreator, and more) for mixing and mastering. The group spent eight days across February and March tracking the album. While many bands take months to refine their metallic mettle, HOAXED’s focused time at Falcon resulted in a polished, big-sounding force that matches the scale of their larger-than-life songs.
‘Death Knocks’ Track List:
- Where the Seas Fall Silent
- Kill Switch
- Promised to Me
- The Fallen
- Looking Glass
- Dead Ringer
- Wretched
- The Family
- Killing Stone
HOAXED are:
Kat Keo – Vocals/Guitar
Kim Coffel – Drums April Dimmick – Bass/Vocals
Photo credit: Shimon Karmel
