Observers - The Emerald - 05 The Word for Forest is World

from The Emerald

August 12th, 2026
9 tracks
37:26
The Emerald
The Emerald
Scheduled for release on August 11th, 2026.
Observers - The Emerald - 05 The Word for Forest is World
Observers
1:42

Videos

The Emerald is the second album from Martin Kennedy's instrumental metal project, Observers. The Emerald's instrumental post-metal was inspired by the primeval forests and hidden portals of the cover art by visionary art pioneer Gilbert Williams, one of Kennedy's favourite artists. Once again mixed by Joe Haley of Australia's Psycroptic, the album is equal parts crushing guitars and atmospheric soundscapes, reminiscent of Kennedy's ambient rock project All India Radio.

Observers' debut earned widespread acclaim, including selection on NPR's New Music Friday, a Wild One pick on ABC TV's Rage, and praise from critics around the world. Prog magazine hailed it as a "glorious instrumental reimagining of 2001: A Space Odyssey," while Distorted Sound called it "a sprawling space-metal epic." Steve Kilbey of The Church simply declared it "sounds brilliant," and Sea of Tranquility "Spacey and doomy" 3 stars.

Credits

All songs by Martin Kennedy except Boreal World with Julian Goldberger / Eulipion Corps

Martin Kennedy - guitars, synths & soundscapes.
Chris Bohm - drums.
Rich Gray - Bass
Additional musicians: Joao Corceiro, Martin Arroyou, German Maldonado

Album art by Gilbert Williams.
Mixed by Joe Haley at Crawlspace.
Mastered by Joe Carra at Crystal

Made possible by my Ultimate Patrons: Andrew Curtis, Carl Koontz, Dave Stewart, Erick Gantt, I Ask No One® with Kevin Re LoVullo, Jamie McLellan, Jeremy Gunkel, Jim, Karl Scutt, Kevyn Marshall, Marc Beck, Michael Holmes, Michael Schmidt, Paul Webb, Randy LeMasters, Rhonda Koontz, Sean Fredrick, Thompson Terry, Todd Norman

Thanks: Julian, Simon at Forte Distribution, Little Universe Music, Blastbeats vinyl, Good Boy PR