Returning with News from Planet Zombie, The Notwist step back into the spotlight after years spent charting new terrain, delivering a record that blends wistful reflection with sparks of optimism. The album unfolds as a series of vivid, tightly honed songs that feel very intimate from the first spin.
Created in their longtime hometown of Munich, the project grounds itself in the familiar while confronting a world in turmoil, a tension that threads through all eleven tracks. It also marks the first time since 1995’s 12 that the group has captured their expanded live lineup together in the studio
X-Ray channels a raw, lo-fi rock intensity, giving the band space to unleash their full dynamic force.
While News from Planet Zombie doesn’t shy away from the unease of today’s geopolitical landscape, it emphasizes the possibility of shared resilience. Through the album’s recurring zombie motif, Markus Acher reflects on the anxieties that haunt us: "In the title and some lyrics I reference B- and horror-movies, which is a reference to the crazy world at the moment, which seems to be like a really bad and unrealistic B-movie. But there’s a reminder here not to lose the thread entirely, that these things, too, will pass."
"The river here in Munich I often go to has been there forever and will be there long after us," Acher reflects. "Always the same but always changing. Very calming, but also always reminding me that like this river time only flows into one direction and you can’t go back. Every moment is very precious."
News from Planet Zombie arrives March 13th, 2026 via Morr Music.
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