After several years of relative quiet, Kansas City’s A Light Within has returned with “Dying Clock,” a nine minute mood heavy single that pushes the band deeper into the cinematic, slow building territory they have long embraced. The track marks their first release since 2024 and arrives with a renewed sense of purpose.
The band spent much of 2025 shaping the new song, bringing in Failure drummer Kelli Scott to give the piece a rhythmic backbone that shifts fluidly between calm and chaos. His presence adds texture to a track that unfolds patiently as layers of synths, guitars, and atmospheric vocals build and break apart. Bassist Madelyn Robertson rounds out the lineup on the recording, adding warmth and tension to the song’s darker moments.
“Dying Clock” follows a complicated stretch for the group. Their last collection, the 2018 release “Epilogue,” wrapped up a conceptual trilogy and closed the door on one era just before the band stepped into an unplanned hiatus. They would eventually regroup in 2022 with Josh Bennett moving to bass, a change that helped reshape the group into a tighter four piece. New singles began to surface again, including “Meteoric Fires,” “Count With Your Eyes,” “Terraform,” and “Identity,” giving fans a slow but steady glimpse of the band’s next direction.
At the same time, members Kyle and Jeff Irvine revisited the band’s early days. They reconstructed their 2013 debut EP with updated production and fresh ideas, releasing it as “re:preface” in 2025. The project reintroduced the band’s roots while they continued developing new material.
“Dying Clock” now signals the start of a new cycle. The band leans fully into atmosphere, introspection, and long form composition, creating a piece that feels like a natural step forward rather than a reset. With momentum finally building again, A Light Within appears ready to move into its next creative phase.
