Canadian doom/sludge metal duo Franklin premiere their debut album »decay« in full ahead of its release this Saturday!

Whitehorse, Yukon based doom/sludge metal duo Franklin is streaming upcoming debut album »decay« in its entirety exclusively on Metal Injection!

»decay« will be released this Saturday, January 31st, 2026. You can be pre-save the album at this location!

Tracklist:
01. NLMD
02. Destroyer
03. Shark
04. Arrival
05. Queens Revenge
06. Smolder
07. Vitriol
08. OLAS
09. Backed Into A Corner
10. Black Circles

Courtesy of Small Fry Music:

Whitehorse doom duo Franklin have been quietly sharpening their teeth, and now they’re ready to bite. Following previous slow-burning heavyweights (»Shark«, »Destroyer«, »Queens Revenge«, and »Black Circles«), the pair are about to release their debut album »decay« (out January 31, 2026).

Franklin is the melodic, doomy, tension-building riff machine your nightmares have been waiting for. Formed in the bleak heart of the pandemic by Kirsty Wells (Whitehorse, YT) and Evan Joel (Vancouver, BC), the two-piece grinds fuzz-drenched bass, raspy dual vocals, and drums that hit hard enough to make knuckles and ears bleed. It’s music that feels like the north: vast, desolate, and a little unhinged.

More about Franklin and »decay«:

On »decay«, Franklin wrestle with time, rage, and persistence. »Destroyer« is a song about time, and how its impending fate-like clutches dismantle all things: hopes, fears, growth, and life alike,” the band explains. “We are obsessed with time…the abundance of it, or the lack thereof. We worship at its altar and are somehow eternally surprised when it inevitably comes for us, plowing a path of destruction over everything we build – for better or for worse.”

»Queens Revenge«, on the other hand, takes aim at hatred closer to home. “Written in response to local bigotry in a small town, »Queens Revenge« was meant to be a frustrated scream, an allied call to action, and a spell of protection for those in our communities who are most marginalized: trans and queer people, especially BIPOC and two-spirited folks.”

Then there’s »Black Circles«, a track born from heaviness both musical and emotional. “Ultimately, this song is about persistence in the face of adversity, which feels – put plainly – really gross and heavy,” they say. “During the initial writing stages of the track, the bridge bass lines felt like old Black Sabbath tunes, and the verse riffs felt very Russian Circles, hence the name »Black Circles«. While recording, we kept rolling for almost three minutes while Kirsty manipulated bass-feedback. We liked it so much that we decided to add it to the end of the song, ushering in a calming tide after the chaos.”

Born in a Yukon garage and forged in distortion, Franklin have quickly built a loyal following in the north, selling out local shows and tearing through festival stages. With a first Canadian tour and European showcase on the horizon in 2025, »decay« marks a new chapter for the band.

Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well