Charismatic leaders. These are the dictators, demagogues and false idols who, around the
world at this very moment, are stoking division and igniting war in the name of nothing but self-
gain. They’re also the unmistakable target of Wheel’s new album of the same name: a seven-
song prog metal opus that strives for all things right in a world gone wrong.
Since forming in 2015, Wheel have swiftly grown from underdogs of Helsinki, Finland, to an
international tour de force. The angular riffs, unforgettable melodies and adventurous scope of
the trio’s 2019 debut, Moving Backwards, was instantly adored by fans of megastars from Tool
to Coheed & Cambria. Then, 2021 followup Resident Human received rave reviews from
publications across the planet, praising its sonic evolution and bravely dystopian themes.
Charismatic Leaders was meticulously crafted to meet Wheel’s ever-heightening benchmarks.
Its songs date as far back as 2020,and recording with engineers/co-producers Daniel
Bergstrand and Fredrik Thordendal (Meshuggah) stretched from August to December 2023.
The end result, mixed by Forrester Savell, has consolidated all the gains of what came before:
singer/guitarist James Lascelles, lead guitarist Jussi Turunen and drummer Santeri Saksala’s
third album represents their heaviest and most conscious music to date.