| Inferno
|
|
| Label(s) |
Warp Records
|
| Catalogue No(s) |
WARP496
|
| Release date(s) |
29 May 2026
|
| Format(s) |
Gatefold 2xLP Deluxe 2xLP CD Digital
|
| Running time(s) |
69:51 70:00 (Continuous Mix)
|
Inferno is the upcoming fifth studio album by Boards of Canada, scheduled for release on 29 May 2026 via Warp Records. It is the long-anticipated follow-up to their 2013 album Tomorrow's Harvest - a gap of nearly thirteen years preceded its release, the band's longest to date between albums.
Tracks
- "Introit" – 0:36
- "Prophecy At 1420 MHz" – 5:04
- "Hydrogen Helium Lithium Leviathan" – 4:44
- "Age Of Capricorn" – 3:52
- "Father And Son" – 3:24
- "Somewhere Right Now In The Future" – 2:26
- "Naraka" – 5:01
- "Acts Of Magic" – 1:18
- "Memory Death" – 2:37
- "The Word Becomes Flesh" – 5:20
- "Into The Magic Land" – 4:35
- "Blood In The Labyrinth" – 4:55
- "Deep Time" – 3:18
- "All Reason Departs" – 6:14
- "Arena Americanada" – 5:22
- "The Process" – 3:01
- "You Retreat In Time And Space" – 5:25
- "I Saw Through Platonia" – 2:39
Leadup
Main article: Road to Inferno
Speculation for the album's release preceded its official announcement by over a decade, with the band and its associates sparsely giving out new information. Activity notably increased in 2025, including the band's Instagram account liking comments related to a new album, a Tomorrow's Harvest-era website coming online once again, and new merchandise being put on sale. For a more detailed look on the band's activities during this period, see the article Road to Inferno.
Promotional Campaign
Main article: 2026 Promo Campaign
In early April 2026, multiple fans received unmarked VHS tapes through the mail, with sender addresses related to Warp and their online storefront Bleep. About a week after, posters with imagery reminiscent of the band started appearing in multiple places around the UK and US. For an in-depth look at the days preceding the album's announcement, see the article 2026 Promo Campaign.
Title and Themes
As a word, Inferno references hell and places reminiscent of it. It is the most explicit reference to religion and the occult since their 2002 album Geogaddi and 2000 EP In a Beautiful Place out in the Country. The album's titles also heavily refer to concepts in cosmology and physics.
- An "Introit" is a song or psalm that is sung or recited at the beginning of a Christian mass.
- "Father And Son" could reference the Holy Trinity, which consists of the two and The Holy Spirit.
- "The Word Becomes Flesh" is a quotation from verse 1:14 of the Gospel of John.
- "Naraka" references the realm of hell seen in Indian religions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism.
- "The Process" could refer to the Process Church of the Final Judgement, a new religious movement which briefly existed in the 1960s and 70s. The Process was the title of their magazine.
- "Prophecy At 1420 MHz" references the hydrogen line, a specific wavelength of radiation emitted by hydrogen as it undergoes a quantum transition. It has been used to investigate the properties of the universe, and search for extraterrestrial life.
- "Hydrogen Helium Lithium Leviathan" refers to the first three elements of the periodic table and the mythical sea creature.
- "Age Of Capricorn" refers to the tenth sign of the astrological zodiac.
- "I Saw Through Platonia" could refer to a concept by Julian Barbour of a realm called Platonia, which contains every possible configuration of the universe.
Trivia
- Inferno has been assigned the catalog number WARP496. This seems to be a deliberate request from the band themselves, as preceding Warp releases such as Squarepusher's Kammerkonzert and Oneohtrix Point Never's Tranquilizer have catalog numbers of 417 and 411, respectively.
- The Continuous Mix version runs for exactly 70 minutes. This seems to be deliberate, as 70 has carried meaning in the band's past releases. For example:
Release Notes
Quotes
See Also
External Links
Press
Forums
Various
References