If you’ve ever wished a Hollywood film score would suddenly grow fangs, chug a riff, and sprint headfirst into a wall of distortion, Bear McCreary has been quietly making your dreams come true for years. Now the Emmy and BAFTA Award–winning composer behind “God of War,” “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” and “Battlestar Galactica” is doubling down on the cinematic metal saga he kicked off in 2024 — and the lineup he’s assembled this time around is, frankly, ridiculous.

McCreary has officially announced “The Singularity: Ekleipsis,” the follow-up to his 2024 symphonic metal concept album “The Singularity.” The new record arrives July 31 via Sparks & Shadows Records and Mutant, with pre-order details promised soon. Co-written primarily by McCreary and his brother, vocalist and producer Brendan McCreary, the album takes its title from the ancient Greek word for “abandonment” and digs into themes of disillusionment, struggle, and the kind of stubborn perseverance that only sounds right with a choir and a downtuned guitar behind it.

About that guest list. Brace yourself: Joe Duplantier (Gojira), Patrick Stump (Fall Out Boy), Claudio Sanchez (Coheed and Cambria), Jens Kidman (Meshuggah), Alissa White-Gluz, Tim Henson (Polyphia), Steve Vai, Slash, Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), and Stewart Copeland (The Police) all turn up across the album’s 15 tracks. It’s less a feature list and more a rock and metal hall of fame induction ceremony set to blast beats.

The first taste is “Black Box,” a sweeping, genre-blurring lead single featuring Duplantier and the legendary Bulgarian women’s choir the Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices. The track fuses McCreary’s cinematic instincts with Duplantier’s unmistakable Gojira growl, layered against haunting Eastern European harmonies that feel pulled from another century entirely.

“I need more cinematic metal in my life!” McCreary says of the project. He describes “Black Box” as a song “equally inspired by ’90s alternative bands, Eastern European folk music, symphonic film scores, and progressive metal,” adding that it “encapsulates the epic scope of Ekleipsis while just cracking open the door to the rest of the album.”

Stream “Black Box” here: https://sparksandshadows.ffm.to/blackbox

“The Singularity: Ekleipsis” Track Listing:
1. Overture II
2. Our Kingdom (feat. Alissa White-Gluz)
3. The Chandelier (feat. Patrick Stump)
4. Black Box (feat. Joe Duplantier and The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices)
5. Kill Us Anyway (feat. Brendan McCreary)
6. Sweet Misery (feat. Claudio Sanchez and Tim Henson)
7. Blueshift (feat. Steve Vai, Tim Henson, and Brendan McCreary)
8. Alexandria (feat. Raya Yarbrough and Guthrie Govan)
9. 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 is also taking the project on the road, with a West Coast tour kicking off in September. Tickets go on sale May 4 at 10 AM PST.

Bear McCreary Tour Dates:
9/8 — Portland, OR — Roseland Theater
9/9 — Seattle, WA — The Crocodile
9/10 — Vancouver, BC — The Rickshaw Theatre
9/13 — San Francisco, CA — Great American Music Hall
9/15 — San Diego, CA — The Magnolia
9/16 — Phoenix, AZ — Walter Studios
9/17 — Los Angeles, CA — The Belasco
9/18 — Las Vegas, NV — House of Blues Las Vegas

Mark July 31 on your calendar, lock in your tour tickets, and queue up “Black Box” — because cinematic metal just got a serious upgrade.