Crown Lands is doing what they do on an epic scale. Ahead of their highly anticipated new album Apocalypse, dropping May 15, 2026, the duo have released a live performance video of the sprawling, 19-minute title track – a dramatic glimpse into their expansive new vision. Directed by long-time collaborator Luke Paron, the session sees Crown Lands expanding their lineup with additional musicians to bring the studio complexities fully to life.
Guitarist/bassist/keyboardist Kevin Comeau reflects on why the duo needed extra hands for the stage: “When we wrote and recorded Apocalypse, we knew our studio ambitions finally pushed us away from being able to pull everything off live as a duo. I produced a record last year for an incredible band from Hamilton Ontario called The Dreamland Band.
“Daniel Walton is an incredible guitarist, bassist and vocalist. Adam Inrig is a ridiculously talented drummer and keyboardist. They are both jazz-school grads and can play our material better than we can. When the conversation came up for additional members for the stage, I knew Dan and Adam were more than up to the task.”
Drummer/vocalist Cody Bowles elaborates on the live concept and visual storytelling behind the performance: “As the vision for the live rendition of Apocalypse came together, we knew we wanted to deliver something over-the-top. I thought it would be so cool to embody Blackstar and bring the character to life – developing this concept of the performance as a battle between Blackstar and the Ebonflight.”
Bowles also praises director Luke Paron, noting the longstanding creative partnership: “Luke and I go way back. We went to high school together, but years later we became very close. He’s now one of my best friends and my dungeon master in our evergreen D&D group.
“We first collaborated with him on the Live Ritual videos, and we absolutely loved how those turned out. So when it came time to capture and conceptualize the mammoth that is Apocalypse, it was a no-brainer. There’s something really special about getting to create cool things with your friends.”
Musically, Apocalypse represents a turning point for Crown Lands. After completing Rituals entirely in their home studio, the duo gained the confidence to take near-total control over production. Comeau explains: “That record gave us the confidence to realize we could make a Crown Lands album in our own space, without a major-label budget or a big, fancy studio.”
For Apocalypse, much of the album was written and recorded in the same studio the duo has used since 2020, with selective production collaboration from Nick Raskulinecz and David Bottrill to enhance the record’s most crucial moments.
Pre-orders are available here. You can also catch Crown Lands at one of their below tour dates.
2/28 Windsor, ON The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor
3/4 Miami, FL Cruise to the Edge 2026
3/20 Kingston, ON Kingston Grand Theatre
3/21 Milton, ON FirstOntario Arts Centre Milton
3/24 Ottawa, ON Shenkman Arts Centre
3/25 North Bay, ON Capitol Centre
3/27 Guelph, ON River Run Centre
3/28 London, ON Wolf Performance Hall
3/31 Richmond Hill, ON Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts
4/1 Oakville, ON The Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts
7/4 Miramachi, NB New Maritime Music Festival
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