Will Ed Sheeran’s New Album “=” Include a Death Metal Track?

An investigation.

Last week, British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran let loose the news of his fifth studio album titled = (pronounced equals) set to be released on 29 October, and oh boy was the internet excited.

Featuring bright, blood reds and butterflies on the cover, this latest album has been in the works since June 2017, with Ed describing it as his “coming of age record.”

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Ed Sheeran (@teddysphotos)

The cover itself was actually painted and designed by Ed and a friend of his over lockdown. According to Ed, the butterfly in its cocoon symbolises “new life,” describing exactly how the musician has felt over the last four years from experiencing grief, marriage, and fatherhood.

“I’ve been through, over the last four years, different experiences in life, including getting married, having a kid, losing a friend,” he explained in an Instagram live.

Aside from the hype, and the realisation that this drop completes the full list of his mathematics themed albums, some of us had questions about what kind of tracks we might be treated to when the album arrives.

More specifically: will Ed include a death metal track on this album?

You might be thinking: "Why would one of the world's top wedding songwriters turn to death metal?". Well, the answer is: he's a fan. 

Where have the death metal music rumours come from?

Back in July, the musician told The Sun that he has been a fan of death metal ever since he was a kid and it's a genre he'd be willing to dabble in. 

“I was really into death metal as a kid. I listened to Cradle of Filth and Slipknot and all that stuff,” he explained to the publication.

“I’m not saying I could ever step into that world. I learnt all those riffs on guitar as a kid.

“That’s something I’ve never thought about doing, but something I would not be opposed to creating.”

So, is it on the cards this album? Let’s dig deeper.

Bruh is Ed Sheeran gonna release a death metal track or sumn cause I heard rumors abt it

— KAT (@galacti_kat) August 19, 2021

Do we know the details of the tracks for = yet?

Yes, but not all of them.

The whole album features 14 songs, three of which we know either some or all of the details of.

First off, his single “Bad Habits” that was released back in June is probably the one we know the most about.

It’s poppy, it’s boppy, and it topped charts all over the globe for its dance track feels.

The video for “Bad Habits” gave us some pretty good heavy metal vibes though, considering Ed was dressed as a full-on vampire, set with dark eye makeup and fangs. There was also a cast of some other vampiric, evil-looking characters.

The next confirmed track is called “Visiting Hours” and it’s a beautiful tribute song to Ed’s late friend Michael Gudinski who passed away March of this year. The song also features backing vocals from Aussie music legends Kylie Minogue and Jimmy Barnes.

Ed gave us an acoustic performance and a live snippet of the gorgeous track on his Instagram, and while it’s a song worth putting on your playlist, it’s definitely not a metal track by any stretch.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Ed Sheeran (@teddysphotos)

“Visiting Hours” is also available to stream right now.

Finally, in an Instagram live that is permanently posted on Ed’s page, the musician played a snippet of an unnamed song on the album that will drop on 10 September.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Ed Sheeran (@teddysphotos)

It’s another no to the death metal questions but it’s definitely upbeat, fun, and seems to tell another love story about a girl and the way she dances.

The full track list is out now but there’s no telling what they might sound like just yet.

So, is there a theme for the album? 

While no official theme has been mentioned, Ed did explain that = is about new life, so it could also bring about the start of a new sound. Maybe something we’ve never heard from Ed before?

When describing the album, Ed also explained that the music is very cohesive, so whether that means the songs all fit a specific genre or storyline, only time will tell.

“They all have their place—I love it, I think it’s the best piece of work I’ve done, it’s cohesive and it feels great,” he said.

This isn’t the first time Ed has teased metal music.

While most fans know Ed for his soft, slow, romantic music, it seems that the musician has been considering delving into the metal-head universe for a while now.

Back in 2013, he joked to MTV that he’d been working on a rap-metal album (what a combo), but it never came to be.

Then in 2015, Ed appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and performed a series of acoustic pop covers of some heavy metal songs, following which him and Jimmy advertised a fake album titled "Death Sheeran".

Plus, following his interview from The Sun, Cradle of Filth frontman Dani Filth posted a response to the news on his Instagram encouraging the singer.

“I’ll believe it when I see it. Fellow Suffolk lad could come good in the end. ‘Dracula’s Castle On The Hill’ anyone?” he wrote.

Idk about you, but if one of my fave childhood artists encouraged me to make a particular type of music, I’d be on board.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Dani Filth (@danifilthofficial)

That’s all we know for now. While it’s exciting to wish and hope that Ed will deliver us a death metal track on this album, I’d have to say it’s looking unlikely.

Fingers crossed we'll hear "Death Sheeran" on the next album.

= comes out on 29 October but it’s available for pre-order on all streaming services, vinyl, CD and reclaimed cassette now.

You can also listen to the latest two tracks from the album on all streaming services and YouTube.

Header Image: Facebook (@edsheeran)