STEVE HACKETT & STEVE ROTHERY launch ‘The Black Sea’; first track taken from their long-awaited collaborative album ‘The Roaring Waves’

Two titans of progressive music, Steve Hackett (Genesis) and Steve Rothery (Marillion), come together on ‘The Roaring Waves’ - a striking and deeply atmospheric instrumental album shaped by memory, imagination, and the elemental power of the sea. The record has been much talked about over the years, and it will now finally see the day on August 28th 2026 via InsideOutMusic. 

Years in the making, The Roaring Waves brings together seven instrumental compositions that move fluidly between the cinematic and the intimate, as Hackett explains, “It’s not the kind of album that guitarists normally make together.”

Written and recorded intermittently over nearly a decade - with sessions at Racket Club and the duo’s home studios - the album emerged from an organic, improvisational process. Jams and shared ideas form the backbone of the music, allowing both players to explore a collaborative dynamic defined by sensitivity and mutual respect. 

Throughout ‘The Roaring Waves’, the duo embrace a painterly, almost filmic approach to composition - crafting music that invites listeners to drift, imagine, and immerse themselves. “You’re trying to create an atmosphere… like painting a picture,” says Rothery. “Taking people on a journey.”

Coinciding with the announcement is the launch of the album’s first single, ‘The Black Sea’, accompanied by a stunning video featuring Hackett & Rothery performing alongside album collaborators Riccardo Romano (who also co-wrote, mixed and played keyboards & bass), & Leon Parr (drums). Watch the video, directed by Tim Sidwell, below:

Steve Rothery comments: “I think The Black Sea is the perfect introduction to the sonic world we’ve created between us. We have a very special chemistry.”

Steve Hackett adds: “For ‘The Black Sea’, our joint guitar sounds with the keys created a strong vibe of intrigue along with a sense of a musical dark sea adventure…”

The album is also available to pre-order on several formats, including a Ltd CD+Blu-ray mediabook edition including Dolby Atmos (by Andy Bradfield) & High Resolution Stereo mixes. The album will also be available as a Standard CD & a Gatefold 180g LP, cut at half-speed at Abbey Road Studios by Miles Showell. All feature artwork and layouts by Simon Ward. Pre-order now here: https://stevehackettsteverothery.lnk.to/TheRoaringWaves-Album 

STEVE HACKETT & STEVE ROTHERY announce long-awaited collaborative album ‘The Roaring Waves’

Two titans of progressive music, Steve Hackett (Genesis) and Steve Rothery (Marillion), come together for the first time on ‘The Roaring Waves’ - Seven instrumental tracks that range from the dexterously ridiculous to the brilliantly sublime, though with one common theme: the profundity of the sea.  As Rothery explains: “In winter you could hear the roaring of the of the waves during the stormy weather, Whitby was a very evocative place to live, a very poetic and powerful place to grow up.”

The record has been much talked about over the years, and it will now finally see the light of day on August 28th, 2026 via InsideOutMusic.

‘The Roaring Waves’ has been in the making for the best part of eight years, though the initial idea of the pair making an album together was first mooted around three years before that, but their respective day jobs and touring itineraries kept them from working together for months at a time. Though recording sessions at the Racket Club, and their respective home studios yielded a rich seam of creativity. “It was a bit old school our approach, like the idea of mates getting together in the garage and playing and hanging out” says Hackett of their approach to creativity.

‘The Roaring Waves’ will be available to pre-order on June 26th, and that date will also mark the first time fans will be able to hear and see what the album is all about, with a first single release.

Look out for more information very soon!