The legendary screamo group Saetia just released their first new song in over 26 years, "Tendrils". It's the title track of their comeback EP, which is due to release in April. The EP will also feature "Three Faces Past" and "Corkscrew Spine." While you'll have to wait to hear those, you can listen to "Tendrils" below:

The New York City-based group's newest track seemingly comes out of nowhere. Prior to this, Saetia's only recent activity was an opening slot for Blood Brothers in December and a short string of shows in 2022. One of those concerts was released as a live recording in 2023 under the title LIVE FROM SAINT VITUS BAR.

Following that release, discussions between bandmembers about creating new music began. The band comments:

Back in December of 2023 Colin (Bartoldus) shared an idea that he wrote on bass. We weren’t really serious about working on new music up until that point, but the five of us slowly started building on that original idea. Through lots of file sharing, trips to Philly and different rehearsal spaces around the United States over the past year, we were able to write and record these three songs.

Saetia's original run from 1997 to 1999 was brief enough that all their recorded material could be included on a single compilation. A Retrospective, released in 2001 but re-released in 2016 as Collected, includes all the songs from their only studio album (Saetia), a demo tape, the EP Eronel, and a few live tracks. Despite their short-lived stint, they are among the most important screamo acts of all time, helping establish the genre's explosiveness, overwrought demeanor, and quiet-loud dynamics.

These elements remain intact on "Tendrils", as if the band's collective aging has barely slowed them down. The track's translucent mix preserves their intensity. Billy Werner in particular delivers a great performance, sounding just as powerful as he did over 25 years ago but with, dare I say, more vocal range. In short, "Tendrils" offers a ton of promise for the upcoming EP.

Tendrils is available for pre-order before it drops in April here.