North Carolina alternative metal standouts Stellar Circuits have released their new single “In The Smoke”, continuing what has already been a massive creative run of standalone releases throughout 2026.
The new track is available now via Nuclear Blast Records, alongside an official visualizer.
Stream “In The Smoke”:
https://sc.bfan.link/in-the-smoke
For me personally, Stellar Circuits are a band I have a lot of time for. I have had the chance to interview them twice now for CRANNK, with the most recent chat being around the release of Phantom :: Phoenix about nine months ago. That album was a huge moment for the band, and it has been really cool watching them continue to build from there with this run of new singles.
You can check out my most recent Crannk interview with Stellar Circuits for Phantom :: Phoenix
“In The Smoke” follows previous 2026 standalone singles “Spotlight”, “Wounded Healer” and “Stargazer”, with Stellar Circuits continuing to expand on the sound that has made them such an exciting name in modern alternative metal.
The band have always had a strong grip on atmosphere and emotional weight, but they also know how to bring the heavy when it needs to hit. “In The Smoke” carries that same balance, moving between driving intensity, crushing riffs and moments of more fragile restraint.
The track sits in that uneasy place where clarity starts to fall apart and fixation begins to take over. There is a sense of being pulled deeper into something you cannot quite escape, where failure, surrender and obsession all start to blur together until everything else fades out of focus.
That is one of the things Stellar Circuits do so well.
They are not just writing heavy songs for the sake of heaviness. There is always a deeper emotional thread running through what they do, and “In The Smoke” feels like another strong example of how they combine technical precision with songwriting that actually lands on a human level.
Released in late 2025, Phantom :: Phoenix marked a defining moment for Stellar Circuits. The album brought together progressive complexity, crushing heaviness, cinematic atmosphere and deeply personal songwriting, while exploring themes of rebirth, perseverance and self-discovery.
Tracks like “I See Your Spirit”, “Corridor” and “Bury The Ashes” helped cement the band’s reputation for music that can be technically sharp, emotionally resonant and intensely heavy without sacrificing one side for the other.
Now, with “In The Smoke”, Stellar Circuits continue to show that they are not standing still.
Across “Spotlight”, “Wounded Healer”, “Stargazer” and now “In The Smoke”, the band have used 2026 to push their sound outward, further expanding their sonic palette while keeping the emotional intensity and dynamic songwriting that sits at the core of what they do.
Stellar Circuits have always felt like a band built on movement, atmosphere and release. “In The Smoke” leans right into that space, giving fans another powerful standalone track that feels both heavy and introspective.
“In The Smoke” is out now via Nuclear Blast Records.
Follow STELLAR CIRCUITS:
Website | Facebook | Instagram | X | TikTok | Youtube | Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
