Six years is a long time to wait.
When Nonpoint finally return to Australia in February 2026 alongside long time comrades (hed) P.E., it will not just mark a long overdue reunion with Australian fans. It will close a circle that began more than two decades ago when a hungry Florida band released an album called Statement and quietly laid the foundations for one of modern heavy music’s most resilient careers.
Catching up with Elias Soriano again feels less like a formal interview and more like picking up a conversation mid sentence. The last time we spoke, he was juggling tours, releases, and renovating his grandparents’ house between flights. That has not changed. What has changed is perspective.
Fresh off a two month European run with Lacuna Coil, Soriano sounds grounded, reflective, and quietly fired up. The renovations are still ongoing. The travel never really stops. But the hunger that defined Nonpoint in 2000 is still there, sharpened by experience rather than dulled by time.
“I literally came back from Europe and jumped straight into home repairs,” Elias laughs. “But it’s a blessing. I get to help my grandparents, be home with family, and then go right back out and do what I love.”
That balance between real life responsibility and creative momentum has become a defining feature of modern Nonpoint.
STATEMENT AT 25: LOOKING BACK
Released in 2000, Statement captured Nonpoint in pure survival mode. Songs like What a Day, Double Stacked, and Mindtrip were not written with legacy in mind. They were written to get the band out of Florida, onto stages, and into the conversation.
Twenty five years later, the band revisited the album with Statement: 25th Anniversary Live In Studio, a release that feels less like a nostalgia exercise and more like a statement of intent.
“It was amazing to go back to songs we hadn’t played in decades,” Elias explains. “Some of that music barely made it past the first year or two of the band. We were putting out records so fast back then that a lot of songs just fell by the wayside.”
Re recording those tracks did more than unlock memories. It reignited something.
“Bringing them back to life and actually performing them again fed the hunger,” he says. “We started adding them into medleys, and the reaction from fans was insane. People had waited decades to hear some of those songs live.”
Tracks like Levels and Years, which once represented the softer edge of early Nonpoint, hit differently now.
“Those songs reminded me that even back then, we were just trying to write great songs,” Elias reflects. “I was still figuring out who I was when I wrote those lyrics. Revisiting that headspace now is powerful.”
THE CLASS OF 2000 REUNION
There is a poetic symmetry to this tour. (hed) P.E. are celebrating twenty five years of Broke. Nonpoint are revisiting Statement. Two bands forged in the same era, still standing, still relevant, still dangerous on stage.
“We got the invite and didn’t even hesitate,” Elias says. “We had such an amazing time last time we were in Australia together. We just ran into those guys in Europe and finally got those long awaited hugs.”
The camaraderie between the two bands is obvious, and it bleeds into the energy of the tour. This is not a legacy lap. It is a reminder of why these bands survived while so many others faded.
SETLISTS, DEEP CUTS, AND HARD CHOICES
With more than twenty five years of material behind them, building a setlist is both a privilege and a curse.
“The struggle is how obscure do we want to get,” Elias admits. “The anniversary shows gave us permission to dig deep, but there will always be someone who wishes you played a certain song.”
For first time Aussie fans and longtime followers alike, a few tracks remain non negotiable.
“Bullet With a Name is a given,” he says. “What a Day takes people right back to those early Ozzfest years. And Dodge Your Destiny is one of those songs that by the end, everybody is moving whether they planned to or not.”
Expect a mix of classics, deep cuts, and modern Nonpoint designed to move bodies and remind people why the band’s live reputation remains untouchable.
NEW MUSIC AND THE NEXT CHAPTER
While the anniversary release has deservedly taken the spotlight, Nonpoint’s future is very much in motion. According to Elias, the band is sitting on a substantial body of new material.
“We wanted enough songs that every single track on the next full length is a banger,” he says. “And I think we’re getting there. 2026 is absolutely about the new record.”
With the band operating fully independently under their 361 Degrees banner, the next release represents more than just new music. It is proof that longevity and independence can coexist.
ARCADE ASSEMBLY AND CREATIVE BREATHING ROOM
Outside of Nonpoint, Elias briefly stepped into different sonic territory with Arcade Assembly alongside Cris Hodges. The project allowed him to explore ideas that did not naturally fit Nonpoint’s groove heavy framework.
“It was a one off at the time,” Elias explains. “We were writing at breakneck speed, then our main projects hit another gear. But I don’t doubt there will be another Arcade Assembly track at some point.”
His admiration for Hodges is obvious.
“He has a special talent for finding hook value. He makes it look easy.”
AUSTRALIA, COFFEE, AND COMING HOME
Ask Elias what he is most excited about returning to Australia and the answer is immediate.
“Coffee,” he laughs. “Your coffee culture blew my mind. I went to different places on the same block and every cup was a completely different experience. I fell in love with Australian coffee.”
Coffee, beer, and heavy music. The essentials.
Six years on from Download 2019, Nonpoint’s return feels earned, timely, and charged with purpose. This is not nostalgia. This is a band reconnecting with its roots while charging headfirst into its next chapter.
Nonpoint and (hed) P.E. hit Australia this February. Do not miss it.
(HED) P.E. & NONPOINT AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2026
Friday 6th February SYDNEY, Manning Bar
Saturday 7th February BRISBANE, Princess Theatre
Sunday 8th February MELBOURNE, Max Watts
Tuesday 10th February PERTH, Rosemount Hotel
Wednesday 11th February ADELAIDE, Lion Arts Factory
Tickets From October Presents: https://www.octoberpresents.com/hedpe-nonpoint-2026
