Press launch –
WHEEL OF TIME is the brainchild of Beijing-based multi-instrumentalist and composer Jimmie Hong, who launched the undertaking in 2022 whereas collaborating within the mentorship program of ex-MEGADETH guitarist Kiko Loureiro. Impressed by the collaborative spirit of tasks like TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, Jimmie envisioned a progressive energy steel undertaking that will convey collectively high musicians from around the globe, working remotely throughout continents and time zones.
Named after one in all his favourite fantasy novels, WHEEL OF TIME blends the technical precision of progressive steel with the melodic sweep of energy steel, symphonic grandeur, and refined Jap melodic components. The band attracts from influences equivalent to METALLICA, DREAM THEATER, STRATOVARIUS, PINK FLOYD, LED ZEPPELIN, LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT, OPETH, and SYMPHONY X, whereas forging a sound uniquely its personal.
After releasing the only “Grand Cosmos” in 2023 and the EP The Enlightenment later that 12 months, WHEEL OF TIME now unveils its debut full-length album Asymmetry on November 12, 2025. The album was composed totally by Jimmie Hong, produced and engineered by Tom MacLean (ex-HAKEN), and recorded in collaboration with a global lineup of musicians.
The opening observe “Grand Cosmos” is a cosmic-philosophical elegy impressed by DREAM THEATER’s “The Alien,” exploring humanity’s seek for that means within the vastness of the universe. Are we alone within the asterism, or only a mud in a misplaced dream? asks the music, with Craig Cairns on vocals and Derek Sherinian delivering a wide ranging keyboard efficiency.
“Freedom Day” follows with a tension-filled anthem of internal battle and launch. That includes Michele Luppi (WHITE SNAKE) on vocals and Derek Sherinian on keyboards, the music builds to a cathartic guitar solo that expresses the breaking free from private imprisonment.
“Blind Sight,” the primary music written for the album, explores themes of phantasm, self-discovery, and liberation. The music opens with lapsteel guitar textures influenced by David Gilmour, and options Ignacio Rodríguez on vocals, Alexandre Aposan on drums, and Ricardo Pinto on keyboards. “Blind Sight” is in regards to the confusion between rationality and emotion, the phantasm of the world we see, explains Jimmie.
The high-energy “Addicted!… ” channels the spirit of STRATOVARIUS, with Timo Tolkki contributing an iconic guitar solo alongside Derek Sherinian’s keys. Initially demoed throughout Jimmie’s mentorship with Kiko Loureiro, the music combines melodic energy steel with darkish, introspective lyrics influenced by NICK CAVE. A singular second got here throughout mixing when Jimmie determined to reverse elements of Derek and Timo’s solos, leading to a extra dynamic and sudden interaction.
“… To the Awakening” serves as a cinematic second chapter to “Addicted!… “, that includes orchestration by Argentine composer Marcos Barilari and bass by Tom MacLean. I wished a distinct construction, tempo, and ambiance for this observe, says Jimmie, whose lyrics evoke the transition from darkness to internal peace. Life simply appears to fade away. All that lasts eternally is the sound of the waves.
“The Night time of Eternity” was the primary observe the place Jimmie reached out to Derek Sherinian. A meditation on impermanence and self-realization, the music attracts from Buddhist ideas and ksana, the smallest unit of time. Vocals by Farhad Hossain convey the emotional depth of standing getting ready to transformation. I’m afraid of the lastly free.
Inspired by Kiko Loureiro to discover nationwide traits, Jimmie composed “China Moon,” initially written within the type of Track Dynasty lyric poetry. That includes Chinese language Guzheng by Ariel Tsao, orchestration by Marcos Barilari, and vocals by Eszter Vegvari, the music paints a portrait of an historical poet drifting on a river underneath a moonlit sky. It was impressed partly by the animated movie 30,000 Miles from Chang’an, provides Jimmie.
The instrumental nearer “2063” attracts inspiration from the Star Trek universe and humanity’s imagined first contact with extraterrestrial life. The music echoes “Grand Cosmos” with recurring riffs and options performances by Tony MacAlpine on guitar and Clark McMenemy on drums. I wished somebody who may deal with each steel and jazz fusion, and we discovered that in Tony MacAlpine, says Jimmie. The observe additionally features a recorded voiceover simulating an astronaut dialog, enhancing its cinematic high quality.
Asymmetry was created by means of a very world collaboration. Jimmie Hong labored with musicians throughout 5 continents and greater than ten time zones, whereas independently writing, arranging, and producing all the album from his house studio in Beijing. Notably, WHEEL OF TIME will probably be used as a case research on the Institute of In style Music on the College of Liverpool in 2025, highlighting new fashions of high-quality unbiased album manufacturing.
All through the method, Jimmie was guided by a philosophy of narrative-driven songwriting, utilizing technical mastery and emotional depth to discover themes of time, future, and the self. As he concludes, the album known as Asymmetry as a result of life, music, and creation are hardly ever symmetrical. That’s the place their magnificence lies.
With Asymmetry, WHEEL OF TIME delivers one of many 12 months’s most bold and emotionally resonant progressive steel releases. It is a sonic journey that transcends borders, genres, and expectations.
About WHEEL OF TIME
WHEEL OF TIME is a progressive energy steel undertaking based by Beijing-based composer and multi-instrumentalist Jimmie Hong. Mixing the technical precision of progressive steel with the melodic power of energy steel and symphonic components, WHEEL OF TIME creates expansive, narrative-driven music that crosses genres and borders. The undertaking options collaborations with world-renowned musicians together with Derek Sherinian, Tony MacAlpine, Michele Luppi, and Timo Tolkki. With a very worldwide lineup and a sound that integrates refined Jap melodic influences, WHEEL OF TIME explores themes of time, future, and self-discovery. The debut full-length album Asymmetry releases November 12, 2025.
Asymmetry Tracklist:
- “Grand Cosmos” (ft. Derek Sherinian) – 06:40
- “Freedom Day” (ft. Derek Sherinian & Michele Luppi) – 05:40
- “Blind Sight” (ft. Alexandre Aposan) – 06:52
- “Addicted!… ” (ft. Derek Sherinian & Timo Tolkki) – 04:45
- “… To the Awakening” (ft. Tom MacLean) – 07:12
- “The Night time of Eternity” (ft. Derek Sherinian) – 07:38
- “China Moon” – 05:03
- “2063” (ft. Tony MacAlpine) – 06:44
Asymmetry Credit:
- Govt Producer: Jimmie Hong
- Producer: Tom MacLean
- Recording Studio: Twelve-tone Studio
- Engineer: Tom MacLean
- Mixing: Tom MacLean
- Mastering: Tom MacLean
- Album Cowl Artist: Aleh
- Orchestration Composer: Marcos Barilari
