Progressive rock legends Yes have announced their 24th studio album, titled Aurora, and released the album’s title track as the first preview of the upcoming record.
The album is scheduled for release later this year and marks another chapter in the long-running career of one of progressive rock’s most influential bands. The lineup behind Aurora includes guitarist Steve Howe, vocalist Jon Davison, keyboardist Geoff Downes, bassist Billy Sherwood and drummer Jay Schellen.
Aurora follows the band’s 2023 album Mirror to the Sky and continues their modern era of recordings under Howe’s musical direction. Over the past decade, Howe has taken on a larger role in shaping the band’s sound and guiding the group’s studio output.
According to Howe, the album title reflects a sense of creativity and renewal. The guitarist explained that Aurora symbolizes a new dawn for the band and captures the atmosphere they were trying to create in the studio.
The newly released title track offers the first glimpse into the record’s musical direction. It blends the band’s signature progressive rock structure with melodic passages and layered instrumentation, reflecting the style that has defined Yes since their late-1960s beginnings.
Yes have remained one of progressive rock’s most enduring groups, first forming in London in 1968 and going on to produce landmark albums such as Fragile, Close to the Edge and 90125. Their music has influenced generations of progressive rock musicians and helped define the genre’s complex arrangements and ambitious songwriting.
Even more than five decades into their career, the band continue to record new music and tour internationally. The announcement of Aurora shows that Yes are still committed to expanding their catalog rather than relying only on their classic era.
With the title track now released, fans are getting the first taste of what the band’s 24th studio album will sound like — another step forward in the long and evolving history of Yes.
