With 'Het Langste Jaar', Het Zesde Metaal releases its sixth album. The news of the incurable illness of guitarist and keyboardist Tom Pintens inspired the band to make an album in the intimacy of their inner circle. Tom led the group into the studio as a producer in June 2023. Given his physical condition, it is a miracle that he could still attend the recording sessions, but his mind was razor-sharp during these intense sessions. When it started to dawn on him that he would no longer be able to complete the mix himself, Pintens called in the help of the trusted producer duo Jo Francken and Pieterjan Maertens (Nie voe kinders, Calais, Skepsels), who completed the work flawlessly.
Although frontman Wannes Cappelle had to deal with the untimely death of a beloved family member and the loss of his first lieutenant, 'Het langste jaar' is not a gloomy album. Cappelle opens with a catchy ode to lasting love, wonders what to do with the time we have left, and tries to understand how a message of a few seconds can have a lifelong impact. But Cappelle wouldn't be Cappelle if he didn't reach outwards. On this album he also holds up a mirror that doesn't show us our best side. 'Het Langste Jaar' is the musical reflection of the heaviest period in the band's history. Still, at the same time, it is perhaps the most melodic record in the 'Het Zesde Metaal' collection, with more room than ever for subtle but extremely efficient arrangements.
