Press launch –
WHEEL OF TIME is the brainchild of Beijing-based multi-instrumentalist and composer Jimmie Hong, who launched the mission in 2022 whereas taking part within the mentorship program of ex-MEGADETH guitarist Kiko Loureiro. Impressed by the collaborative spirit of initiatives like TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, Jimmie envisioned a progressive energy metallic mission that might carry collectively prime musicians from world wide, working remotely throughout continents and time zones.
Named after certainly one of his favourite fantasy novels, WHEEL OF TIME blends the technical precision of progressive metallic with the melodic sweep of energy metallic, symphonic grandeur, and delicate Jap melodic parts. The band attracts from influences equivalent to METALLICA, DREAM THEATER, STRATOVARIUS, PINK FLOYD, LED ZEPPELIN, LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT, OPETH, and SYMPHONY X, whereas forging a sound uniquely its personal.
After releasing the one “Grand Cosmos” in 2023 and the EP The Enlightenment later that yr, WHEEL OF TIME now unveils its debut full-length album Asymmetry on November 12, 2025. The album was composed totally by Jimmie Hong, produced and engineered by Tom MacLean (ex-HAKEN), and recorded in collaboration with a world lineup of musicians.
The opening monitor “Grand Cosmos” is a cosmic-philosophical elegy impressed by DREAM THEATER’s “The Alien,” exploring humanity’s seek for that means within the vastness of the universe. Are we alone within the asterism, or only a mud in a misplaced dream? asks the music, with Craig Cairns on vocals and Derek Sherinian delivering a panoramic keyboard efficiency.
“Freedom Day” follows with a tension-filled anthem of interior battle and launch. That includes Michele Luppi (WHITE SNAKE) on vocals and Derek Sherinian on keyboards, the music builds to a cathartic guitar solo that expresses the breaking free from private imprisonment.
“Blind Sight,” the primary music written for the album, explores themes of phantasm, self-discovery, and liberation. The music opens with lapsteel guitar textures influenced by David Gilmour, and options Ignacio Rodríguez on vocals, Alexandre Aposan on drums, and Ricardo Pinto on keyboards. “Blind Sight” is concerning the confusion between rationality and emotion, the phantasm of the world we see, explains Jimmie.
The high-energy “Addicted!… ” channels the spirit of STRATOVARIUS, with Timo Tolkki contributing an iconic guitar solo alongside Derek Sherinian’s keys. Initially demoed throughout Jimmie’s mentorship with Kiko Loureiro, the music combines melodic energy metallic with darkish, introspective lyrics influenced by NICK CAVE. A novel second got here throughout mixing when Jimmie determined to reverse components of Derek and Timo’s solos, leading to a extra dynamic and sudden interaction.
“… To the Awakening” serves as a cinematic second chapter to “Addicted!… “, that includes orchestration by Argentine composer Marcos Barilari and bass by Tom MacLean. I wished a distinct construction, tempo, and environment for this monitor, says Jimmie, whose lyrics evoke the transition from darkness to interior peace. Life simply appears to fade away. All that lasts without end is the sound of the waves.
“The Evening of Eternity” was the primary monitor the place Jimmie reached out to Derek Sherinian. A meditation on impermanence and self-realization, the music attracts from Buddhist ideas and ksana, the smallest unit of time. Vocals by Farhad Hossain convey the emotional depth of standing on the point of transformation. I’m afraid of the lastly free.
Inspired by Kiko Loureiro to discover nationwide traits, Jimmie composed “China Moon,” initially written within the fashion of Music Dynasty lyric poetry. That includes Chinese language Guzheng by Ariel Tsao, orchestration by Marcos Barilari, and vocals by Eszter Vegvari, the music paints a portrait of an historic poet drifting on a river beneath a moonlit sky. It was impressed partially by the animated movie 30,000 Miles from Chang’an, provides Jimmie.
The instrumental nearer “2063” attracts inspiration from the Star Trek universe and humanity’s imagined first contact with extraterrestrial life. The music echoes “Grand Cosmos” with recurring riffs and options performances by Tony MacAlpine on guitar and Clark McMenemy on drums. I wished somebody who may deal with each metallic and jazz fusion, and we discovered that in Tony MacAlpine, says Jimmie. The monitor additionally features a recorded voiceover simulating an astronaut dialog, enhancing its cinematic high quality.
Asymmetry was created by a very world collaboration. Jimmie Hong labored with musicians throughout 5 continents and greater than ten time zones, whereas independently writing, arranging, and producing your entire album from his dwelling studio in Beijing. Notably, WHEEL OF TIME can be used as a case examine on the Institute of Fashionable Music on the College of Liverpool in 2025, highlighting new fashions of high-quality impartial album manufacturing.
All through the method, Jimmie was guided by a philosophy of narrative-driven songwriting, utilizing technical mastery and emotional depth to discover themes of time, future, and the self. As he concludes, the album known as Asymmetry as a result of life, music, and creation are not often symmetrical. That’s the place their magnificence lies.
With Asymmetry, WHEEL OF TIME delivers one of many yr’s most bold and emotionally resonant progressive metallic releases. It is a sonic journey that transcends borders, genres, and expectations.
About WHEEL OF TIME
WHEEL OF TIME is a progressive energy metallic mission based by Beijing-based composer and multi-instrumentalist Jimmie Hong. Mixing the technical precision of progressive metallic with the melodic energy of energy metallic and symphonic parts, WHEEL OF TIME creates expansive, narrative-driven music that crosses genres and borders. The mission options collaborations with world-renowned musicians together with Derek Sherinian, Tony MacAlpine, Michele Luppi, and Timo Tolkki. With a very worldwide lineup and a sound that integrates delicate Jap melodic influences, WHEEL OF TIME explores themes of time, future, and self-discovery. The debut full-length album Asymmetry releases November 12, 2025.
Asymmetry Tracklist:
“Grand Cosmos” (ft. Derek Sherinian) – 06:40
“Freedom Day” (ft. Derek Sherinian & Michele Luppi) – 05:40
“Blind Sight” (ft. Alexandre Aposan) – 06:52
“Addicted!… ” (ft. Derek Sherinian & Timo Tolkki) – 04:45
“… To the Awakening” (ft. Tom MacLean) – 07:12
“The Evening of Eternity” (ft. Derek Sherinian) – 07:38
“China Moon” – 05:03
“2063” (ft. Tony MacAlpine) – 06:44
Asymmetry Credit:
Government Producer: Jimmie Hong
Producer: Tom MacLean
Recording Studio: Twelve-tone Studio
Engineer: Tom MacLean
Mixing: Tom MacLean
Mastering: Tom MacLean
Album Cowl Artist: Aleh
Orchestration Composer: Marcos Barilari
