Kristoffer Gildenlöw Strikes Deep With ‘Humanised’ — His Boldest, Most Expansive Statement Yet!
- Rock Metal Machine
- 15 hours ago
- 3 min read
KRISTOFFER GILDENLÖW
Dutch-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Kristoffer Gildenlöw returns with his most powerful and sonically expansive solo work to date. His sixth studio album, '[Humanised]', will be released on May 29, 2026 via New Joke Music on LP, CD, and all streaming platforms.
To mark the announcement, the official video for the album’s first single, “The Almosts,” has been revealed.
A deeply introspective and visually intimate piece, “The Almosts” captures the emotional core of '[Humanised]'. The video features performances by Lilo (bass), Dirk Bruinenberg (drums), and Kristoffer Gildenlöw (guitar/vocals), while the studio recording features drums by Leo Margarit and all other instruments performed by Gildenlöw himself.
A straight-ahead rock song with only two (!) chords, “The Almosts” uses dynamic build-ups and layered melodies and details to keep the listener’s attention.
The lyrics empower outcasts, minorities, and others who tend to fall slightly outside the strict structures of the modern system; people who don’t fit through the square hole. People who are looked down on, frowned upon, or simply ignored and left to the waves.
But in the darkness below the surface, beneath the concrete, roots are growing, and an undertow is becoming a rip current of change.
Closing with the dedication“The Almosts – Dedicated to everyone who failed or succeeded in being themselves,” the track stands as a poignant statement of identity, vulnerability, and self-acceptance.
Known as the bassist in the original line-up of Pain of Salvation, Kristoffer Gildenlöw has built a rich and diverse career collaborating with artists such as Neal Morse, Damian Wilson, Lana Lane, and many more.
Since his 2012 solo debut 'Rust', followed by 'The Rain' (2016), 'Homebound' (2020), 'Let Me Be A Ghost' (2021), and 'Empty' (2024), Gildenlöw has consistently defied categorisation, crafting deeply personal albums connected by his signature production style and unmistakable vocal warmth.
With '[Humanised]', he revisits heavier territory:
“Everything has its time and place and now was the time to write a heavier album. Some of the songs have been with me for many years, just waiting to be recorded and released… and now I was ready for it.” - Kristoffer Gildenlöw
Kristoffer Gildenlöw reintroduces elements of his progressive metal roots. Featuring weighty seven-string guitar work, driving riffs and shifting time signatures, the record leans noticeably heavier than his previous releases. At the same time, it weaves in touches of sleaze rock, art rock, prog and even doom, all brought together with a seamless flow and a powerful, cohesive production.
Kristoffer doesn’t approach songwriting through traditional concept albums with a linear narrative. Instead, his records are built around over arching themes, with a thread running through out that ties the material together. Each track offers a snapshot; a moment or perspective, often exploring human nature from different angles, presenting vivid impressions of people and the world they inhabit.
'[Humanised]' is a mirror (or selfie-cam?), held up in front of the modern day person. Over-producing, over-consuming, over-shallow, over- greedy, exclusively inclusive… and puts this in the perspective that nothing will ever stay the same… nothing!
TRACKLIST
Rendering – 3:56
Nothing Lasts Forever – 6:19
Landfill – 5:11
The Almosts – 6:23
Intermezzo – 2:18
Nothing Stays The Same – 5:27
The Fields – 4:59
Before I Fail Asleep – 6:42
Binary – 4:12
Total duration: 45:27
Pre-orders '[Humanised]' now: US Webshop – Bandwagon USA https://thebandwagonusa.com/collections/kristoffer-gildenlow
World Wide Webshop – Dutch Music Works https://store.dutchmusicworks.com/page/kristoffer-gildenlow
MUSICIANS & PRODUCTION
All songs written by Kristoffer Gildenlöw
Mixed and produced by Kristoffer Gildenlöw – New Joke Studios
Drums mixed by Leo Margarit
Mastered by Peter van ’t Riet (Finetune Mastering)
Artwork by Kristoffer Gildenlöw
Painting (“The Almost”) by Sander van Helvoort
Promo photos by DCH Photography
GUEST MUSICIANS
Leo Margarit – drums
Daniel Magdič – guest guitar solo on “Landfill”
Thijmen van der Meer – guest guitar solo on “The Fields”
Thijmen van der Meer will also join the live band for the upcoming promotional tour.
SOCIALS & OFFICIAL LINKS
Website: https://www.kristoffergildenlow.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kgildenlow
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