By Jai That Aussie Metal Guy | Crannk.com
Swedish progressive stoner rock phenoms GAUPA are back with a mind-bending new single, “Ten Of Twelve”, lifted from their forthcoming 4-track mini-album FYR—set to drop digitally on July 4th via Nuclear Blast Records, with physical editions (handled by Magnetic Eye Records) arriving later.
🎧 Listen to “Ten Of Twelve”
📦 Pre-save / Pre-order FYR
Following the psychedelic power surge of their December 2024 single “Heavy Lord”, GAUPA continue to raise the bar. The new track “Ten Of Twelve” rides a wave of thick fuzz, hypnotic groove, and off-kilter time signatures—topped off by Emma Näslund’s unmistakably haunting and otherworldly vocals.
Since their self-titled 2018 EP, GAUPA (Swedish for “lynx”) have clawed their way into the upper echelons of Europe’s heavy underground, blending stoner rock, doom, prog, and folk into a singular, surreal sound. With standout records like Feberdröm (2020) and Myriad (2022), plus festival slots at Wacken, Hellfest, Sweden Rock, and tours alongside Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, Blood Ceremony, and Graveyard, the band have carved out a fierce following across the globe.
But 2024 marked a shift. The departure of guitarist Daniel Nygren forced the band to regroup and rethink. Enter FYR—a title layered with meaning: Swedish for “four,” “lighthouse,” and “to set on fire.” It’s a bold new chapter for the now-four-piece GAUPA and reportedly their heaviest material yet.
“FYR loosely explores the concept of time, what is real, what is not, and what is a dream,” the band explains. Lyrically inspired by science fiction, nature, and animals, it’s vintage GAUPA: strange, poetic, and impossible to pin down.
Recorded in autumn 2024 at Svenska Grammofonstudion (Göteborg) and Estethuset Studios (Falun), and mixed by Karl Daniel Lidén, FYR includes the previously released “Heavy Lord” and a special live-only track “Sömnen / Febersvan (Live at Monkey Moon Studios, 2023)” exclusive to physical formats.
Later this year, GAUPA are set to storm Europe’s festival circuit again with appearances at Stoomfest (UK), Krach Am Bach (Germany), and Motocultor (France).
Don’t sleep on this one—GAUPA are at their most potent, and FYR promises to be a sonic firestorm.
