THE RETICENT New Concept Album "please" Plunges Deep Into The Battles of Mental Illness
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Progressive metal trio The Reticent returns with its most emotionally raw and artistically ambitious release to date: “please”, a concept album that plunges deep into the lived experience of mental illness. Being released via Generation Prog Records on November 13th, 2025, the album's full stream can be heard BELOW its premiere is on TheProgSpace, offering listeners a front-row seat to one of the most personal and soul-baring musical journeys of the year.
Listen to “please” in full BELOW!
Helmed by Grammy-nominated music educator Chris Hathcock, The Reticent has carved a distinct identity through emotionally charged, autobiographical concept albums that fuse progressive metal with raw, introspective storytelling. Their latest release, "please," is Hathcock’s most personal and vulnerable work to date, a sonic outcry born from his own suffering and shaped into a plea for empathy, healing, and survival. The title itself, "please," encapsulates a universal cry: for rest, for peace, for help, for escape. Far more than a catalog of pain, the album stands as a lifeline, crafted in the depths of anguish and offered to those who may be silently enduring the same.
Spanning ten deeply affecting tracks, "please" traverses the complex terrain of mental illness, with each song shedding light on a unique psychological struggle, from the disorientation of panic attacks and the torment of sleeplessness to the crushing weight of depression and the finality of suicidal ideation. Written while Hathcock was actively experiencing these states, every lyric and musical phrase resonates with lived truth, making "please" not just an album, but a testament to survival.
Hidden throughout “please” are references to the work of clinical psychologist Kay Redfield Jamison, including nods to her books Night Falls Fast and An Unquiet Mind, and samples of her voice in “Discharge.”
The album was written in just six months. Drums were recorded in one day, all other instruments in two, but vocals took two weeks, leaving Hathcock with a vocal injury that required six weeks of silence. This is the first Reticent album, almost entirely engineered by Hathcock himself at Silent Muse Studio. Drums were tracked by Jamie King at The Basement Studios, who also mixed and mastered the album. All songs (except “The Bed of Wasps”) were recorded using 6-string guitars, the first time since 2016’s "On The Eve Of A Goodbye."
The album artwork visualizes depression as a riptide, a tireless current pulling you away from shore. It’s a metaphor that runs through the album, both sonically and lyrically.
During the filming of the single “The Concealment” video, Hathcock broke two toes, sprained three others, and tore his rotator cuff. He performed at ProgStorm Festival in Montreal, QC, just six days later, in visible pain.
The Reticent’s live shows are more than concerts, they’re emotional exorcisms. Described by Metal Injection as “one of the most heart-wrenching performances in ProgPower history,” the band delivers immersive, soul-crushing sets that leave audiences transformed. The band is slated to appear at the 2026 editions of ProgPower USA in September and ProgPower Europe in October, marking another major milestone for the band’s growing international presence.
Fans of Opeth, Cynic, The Contortionist, Wilderun, and Devin Townsend will find much to resonate with in "please," which arrives November 13, 2025, via Generation Prog Records. A follow-up album is already underway, shaped by the profound loss of Chris Hathcock’s father during the creation of "please."
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