French post-rock quartet Echo Says Echo dropped long-awaited second album »Aithaleia«; out now via Voice Of The Unheard Records!

Paris, France based post-rock band Echo Says Echo stream their long-awaited second album, »Aithaleia«, which was just released on February 27th, 2026 via Voice Of The Unheard Records.

Listen to »Aithaleia« on all major streaming services!

Tracklist:
01. Noisy Cave
02. The Landing
03. Volta Celeste
04. HHID
05. Stuck In Eternity
06. Dissensus

Courtesy of Clément Duboscq // Vous Connaissez ? PR:

Echo Says Echo’s new album »Aithaleia« out February 27, 2026 on Voice Of The Unheard Records.

»Aithaleia« is the name given to the ancient Greek island of Elba and its volcanic landscape. A name composed of words related to ash, soot, and fire. In other words, the perfect title for Echo Says Echo’s sophomore album, representing music that owes as much to an elusive lightness as to explosive moments. Rooted in the modern era of instrumental post-rock, the Parisians deliver six new tracks combining ethereal magnetism, technical skill, and power. 11 years after their beginnings, strengthened by a renewed line-up, the quartet has reached a long-awaited milestone, finally a concrete one!

Echo Says Echo have always taken their time, prioritizing the joy of playing and creating. They haven’t conformed to fads or trends, even within the post-rock niche. Seven years separate their formation from the release of their debut album, Pause, in 2021. This album marked the first lineup change with the arrival of guitarist William Gaune. This fresh blood allowed them to reshuffle the deck and approach songwriting differently, a process previously handled primarily by bassist Alain Delvare. Five years later, »Aithaleia« is definitively imbued with a collective spirit where each member contributes their unique piece to the puzzle.

Photo by Anne-Cécile Causse

Alberto Franchi, guitarist and co-founder, reflects on the band’s creative process over the years:

“The band’s evolution was quite natural. We got to know each other and found our own way of composing. It’s clear that initially, many ideas stemmed from Alain’s personal project. Some tracks on Pause were already a long time in the making. Now, we have a much more organic process. Everyone has veto power; we don’t play anything that isn’t unanimously approved. Over the past ten years, we’ve certainly taken our time, and we’ve never tried to release something just because we had to. We felt it was our duty to see the compositions through to completion, to refine the tracks. Changes in band members slowed our process down a bit, because we had to find a new dynamic, learn to work with new people… Not to mention Covid, right in the middle of which Pause was released in 2021, even though we had recorded it well before. To sum it up: we compose quickly, but we record slowly!”

After a completely DIY Pause, »Aithaleia« displays a noticeable improvement in production quality and a more pronounced desire to manipulate and play with sound. Still rooted in their post-rock, Echo Says Echo perform it without hiding their penchant for complexity, intricate arrangements, and rhythmic signatures. This is evident in the opening track »Noisy Cave«, with its barely veiled math rock sounds and refreshing electronic experimentation. While its predecessor already featured impactful and intense tracks, this new album takes this characteristic to another level. The displays of heaviness heard on »The Landing« and »HHID« prove this point, but are always tempered by a meticulous embellishment. This pure and touching beauty is still present, even more so on »Volta Celeste« and the first single, »Stuck In Eternity«, culminating in the melancholic explosion of »Dissensus« as the closing track.

Thus, Echo Says Echo make their dynamics an essential part of their DNA. Alain goes further:

“The overall approach of this album is the idea of exploration, venturing into uncharted territory. Hence the addition of electronic and synthetic elements. They were present on Pause, but we wanted to emphasize them on this album and try new things. We didn’t want it to be the album’s main focus, just to add them and see what would happen. And I think the result is quite honest in that regard.”

What makes this exploration so powerful is also the diverse musical background of the four musicians. While Alain is ultimately the only one from the post-rock scene, Alberto cut his teeth in post-hardcore and metal, William in punk, and the new drummer, Thomas Baratte, in alternative rock. Somewhat surprisingly, »Aithaleia« compiles these influences and techniques into a coherent whole, presenting an Echo Says Echo that is stunning in their harmony and synergy.

William offers some explanations:

“When we compose tracks, we have very different sensibilities. And in reality, we always manage to find things that interest us. Since our post-rock style leaves a lot of space and doesn’t include any vocals, it allows room for effects and for thinking about the songs differently from one another. For me, coming from punk rock with a very rhythmic drum sound, it opened a door to this instrumental format, to how laying down sounds, and I was interested in exploring this path further. We made sure there was tension between very calm and delicate moments, and others that returned with renewed energy. We always try to find a balance, a continuity between the ups and downs.”

It’s impossible not to mention the highlight of Echo Says Echo’s sophomore album: Thomas’ crucial role behind the drums. His arrival, shortly after the release of Pause, led to a quick return to songwriting, towards what would become »Aithaleia«. Given free rein by his bandmates, the drummer was able to fully infuse the album with his signature style and unleash his versatile playing. Without this, the aforementioned use of dynamics probably wouldn’t have had the same impact.

Thomas himself discusses his integration:

“I joined Echo Says Echo at the end of October 2021, after not having sat behind a drum kit for 3 years. I missed it so much! When I replied to their ad, I didn’t know much about post-rock, but the style had always interested me without really knowing what it was. My roots are in alternative rock, but I’ve always wanted to move towards this instrumental format. I listen to a lot of prog metal like TesseracT, djent, and I like complex time signatures; it really resonates with me. And I feel like that comes through more on »Aithaleia«, with passages that are perhaps a bit more aggressive and powerful than on Pause.”

»Aithaleia« stands out as an undeniable turning point for Echo Says Echo. A snapshot of what represents the four people and personalities who conceived it, and which now only asks to be shared.

Order »Aithaleia« at THIS LOCATION.

Recorded and mixed by Bernard Gionta at Studios La Mante (Paris).
Mastered by Christopher Le Dantec at Draftlab Mastering (Dublin).
Artwork by Ariane Patenaude.
Photos by Anne-Cécile Causse.

Echo Says Echo is :
Alain Delvare – Bass
Alberto Franchi – Guitars
Thomas Baratte – Drums
William Gaune – Guitars

FFO : Explosions In The Sky, Caspian, God Is An Astronaut, Mono, Oh Hiroshima, Maybeshewill, Mogwai, 65DaysOfStatic…

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