“HE’S RETURNING TO THE RED PLANET.” 🚀🎹 — RICK WAKEMAN’S NEXT CHAPTER IS ALREADY GETTING PROG ROCK FANS TALKING Legendary keyboardist Rick Wakeman has announced a brand-new album inspired by Mars, marking a long-awaited return to the musical universe he first explored five years ago. The prog rock icon reunites with his longtime band for a project featuring epic new compositions, including a heartfelt tribute to David Bowie and tracks inspired by the Red Planet’s mysteries. Fans are already buzzing over what could be one of his most ambitious releases in years. But it’s the story behind why Wakeman felt compelled to revisit Mars that has made this announcement even more fascinating.

Rick Wakeman has announced that he will release his new progressive rock album, Return To The Red Planet, through Madfish Records on October 16. The album is a sequel to Wakeman’s The Red Planet album, which he released back in 2020.

The album sees Wakeman reunited with his English Rock Ensemble band of Lee Pomeroy, Dave Colquhoun, Adam Falkner and Mollie Marriott. You can watch a video trailer for the new album below.

“Once I started looking at the new data and photographs, I realised there was an entirely new album waiting to be written,” Wakeman explains. “There was simply too much more to say about Mars – musically and spiritually – not to return.”

Wakeman had previously told Prog about the making of the new record, revealing that he drew on his experience playing with David Bowie back in his pre-Yes days. “When we did Life On Mars? we talked a lot about it; he was fascinated with Mars – not to the depth that I am, but it intrigued him. So I wrote a track, almost like a tribute to David, called Bowie’s Vision. I’m very pleased with it.

“Then there’s one I’ve done on the three epochs of Mars – very proggy, based around the fact that Mars was essentially created in three periods of time over billions of years. So I’ve separated those and made a suite of that.

“There’s also a track called Martian Dust Devils, which is a term astrophysicists use for massive swirling storms. We get them on Earth, in deserts, and they’re pretty wild. But imagine something 1,000 times more powerful! That was a great idea to write, too. It was great fun.

“It was just like the old days – it’s the closest I can remember coming to how it was in the early 70s, the very early days of Yes, preparing for a new album.”

Return To The Red Planet wil be available as crystal clear gatefold Vinyl LP, classic black gatefold Vinyl LP, digipack CD With 20-page booklet, a CD/Blu-ray edition, which includes CD of the studio album + Blu-ray disc featuring Dolby Atmos, 5.1 Surround Sound & Hi-Res Stereo Mixes and The Making Of The Return To The Red Planet documentary and 20-page printed booklet and as a digital album.