There's a heavier sound, a changing line-up and plenty of new music on the way. We caught up with Andromedous at The Sanctum Festival 2026 to find out what's changed, what comes next and why a drummer might be joining the party.
Andromedous at The Sanctum Festival 2026.
Nearly ten years into their career, Andromedous are finally making their first full-length album. They're working on around ten tracks, although that number might not stay put for very long, given Lewis's habit of writing new music whenever he gets a spare moment.
We caught up with all four members at The Sanctum Festival in Birmingham, three years after first encountering them on Download's Takeover stage in 2023. A fair bit has happened since then, including changes to the line-up, a shift in musical direction and a new approach to writing songs.
The band describe this latest chapter as something of a "soft reboot", and there's a definite sense that everything they've been working towards is beginning to come together.
A new chapter for Andromedous
Anyone who remembers Andromedous from Download 2023 might recall seeing them perform without a vocalist. That's changed considerably, with Ryan now handling vocals and guitar duties and Freddie joining on bass at the beginning of 2026.
With Lewis and Morgan, they've been spending much of this year developing new material and deciding where they want to take the band next. Their previous vocalist, Elliot, had announced his departure, so rather than rushing straight into another run of shows, they decided to use the opportunity to concentrate on writing, recording and getting everything ready for their next chapter.
The changes extend to the music itself. Andromedous have always mixed electronic sounds with metal, but they're now working towards a more even balance between the two, with a heavier, more focused sound emerging from the writing sessions.
There's a good mixture of influences within the band, too. Northlane are a particular favourite they all have in common, while Freddie brings a progressive metal background to the mix. Between the technical playing, electronic elements and Morgan's love of a good groove, there's plenty for everyone to contribute.
Perhaps the biggest difference, though, is how they're putting the songs together. Previously, Lewis would often come up with an almost complete track and ask the others to add their parts around it. Now there's much more collaboration, with ideas being passed around, developed and recorded together.
They've been getting together at Morgan's house to work through material, building songs that feel representative of the current line-up rather than trying to fit everyone's contributions into something that's already finished.
It's an important distinction for a band approaching its first album after nearly a decade. They've spent years experimenting with their sound, and now they're making a record that reflects where they've arrived.
Ten tracks. Possibly eleven.
When we asked what they were working on, the band initially seemed determined to avoid actually saying the word 'album'. Instead, we were told it would be a collection of songs longer than an EP but shorter than a double album.
Eventually, we got there.
It's their debut album, and at the time of our August interview, they were working on ten tracks. Although even the band weren't entirely convinced that would be the final number.
Lewis, apparently, is the problem. While the others might finish work and settle down for a bit of Xbox, he's more likely to open Ableton and start writing another song. It's a productive habit, although it does mean the rest of the band have to keep up.
The album is also being developed around an overarching theme. They're keen for the songs to feel connected, while stopping short of calling it a full concept album.
"It's not strictly a concept album, but it is a themed album," Ryan explained.
There are ideas for a title, although nothing has been finalised, and the band are still working through the recording process. Speaking to us in August, they were hoping the album might be ready in early 2027, but that's a target rather than a confirmed release date. One track was already ready to go, with more recording and the accompanying video and promotional work still to come.
For Andromedous, the important thing seems to be getting the album right. After spending so long refining their sound, they want their first full-length release to feel like a proper representation of the band they've become.
And if Lewis writes another half-dozen songs between now and then, they'll have some decisions to make.
Heavier music, new masks and maybe a drummer
The Sanctum festival audience got an early taste of the band's new direction, with two unreleased tracks making their way into the set. They even opened with one of them, which is quite a brave move when nobody in the crowd has had the chance to hear it beforehand.
According to the band, the new material went down well. They'd chosen to lean towards the heavier end of their sound for The Sanctum, taking the other bands on the bill into consideration while putting the set together.
But even as the music gets heavier, Andromedous doesn't want to lose the fun of playing it live.
They love a good technical riff as much as anyone, but they're not particularly interested in writing music so complicated that they have to spend the entire performance staring at their instruments. Especially when they're wearing masks, which can make seeing what they're playing a bit of a challenge.
"We want to give people a show," they tell us.
It's a philosophy that's remained consistent through the band's various incarnations. They want music people can move to, whether that's dancing, headbanging or throwing themselves into a pit.
As they put it, "It's electronic dance metal."
To make the live experience even bigger, they’re also considering a real live drummer. Surprisingly, given how long Andromedous have been around, they've never actually had one.
Their percussion has always been programmed, with the electronic elements and lighting synchronised to a click track. That system isn't going away, but they're interested in what a live drummer could bring to the performance, particularly now that the music is moving in a heavier direction.
They've already brought live drums into the recording process, with Sammy from Linkin Park tribute band L1NKN P4RK helping out on the new material. The band are delighted with the results and reckon having that same physical energy on stage could take things even further.
They're careful to point out that this isn't about fixing something that's missing from Andromedous. It's another possible step in their evolution, and one they're keen to explore.
Of course, recruiting a drummer presents one additional challenge. They'll have to find somebody who's happy to perform while wearing one of the band's distinctive masks.
And yes, the masks are staying. In fact, there are new designs and stage aesthetics in the works to accompany the new music.
Hopefully, the lighting will be more cooperative next time, too.
A few technical hiccups and one very dedicated fan
Unfortunately, Birmingham traffic meant we missed Andromedous's performance at The Sanctum, although it sounds as though the band had enough difficulties getting through the set without us adding to them.
There were problems with the lighting, troublesome guitar connections and a last-minute dash to buy a replacement cable. Freddie even admitted to leaving his tuner switched on during the final song, which probably wasn't quite the dramatic finish they'd planned.
Thankfully, everyone seemed in good spirits afterwards, and the band were laughing about the whole experience when we caught up with them.
"We had fun. It was still very good fun."
Before we wrapped up, we also had to mention Sara, who's developed quite the reputation as an Andromedous superfan. Her dedication extends well beyond turning up to gigs and buying the occasional T-shirt. She's apparently been known to buy two copies of the same shirt so she can cut one up and turn it into a back patch for her battle jacket.
Freddie also remembers Sara being the first person to ask him for an autograph, which is a lovely little milestone for someone who only joined the band earlier this year.
Naturally, when we started asking about the album's release, we wanted to know when Sara would finally get to hear it.
With a bit of luck, that'll be sometime in 2027.
There's still plenty of work ahead for Andromedous, but they've got good reason to be excited. The new line-up is finding its feet, the songwriting has become more collaborative and they're working towards a bigger, heavier live sound, all while preparing to release their first album after almost a decade together. It's taken them a while to reach this point, but there's a real sense that the next chapter could be an important one.
And if the album does end up with more than ten tracks, at least we'll know who to blame.
Watch our full interview with Andromedous from The Sanctum Festival 2026 below.
You can explore Andromedous's music on Bandcamp, including their 2025 EP The Ascent, and find their official channels through the band's links.