Review: Hackett & Rothery – The Roaring Waves
Steve Hackett and Steve Rothery join forces on the atmospheric instrumental album ‘The Roaring Waves’.

Hackett & Rothery – The Roaring Waves
Format: CD / Vinyl LP / Digital
Label: InsideOut Music
Release date: August 28, 2026
Text: Tom Wouters
Two masters of the prog rock guitar, Steve Hackett (Genesis) and Steve Rothery (Marillion), have for years been working together at the songs of an album that finally is released in 2026, ‘The Roaring Waves’.
Hackett, who has the experience of producing cinematic and orchestral soundtracks, as witnessed by his 2021 release ‘Under The Mediterranean Sky’, teamed up with Rothery “because our joint guitar sounds create a strong vibe of intrigue along with a sense of a musical dark sea adventure”.
‘The Roaring Waves’ has become a striking and deeply atmospheric instrumental album, shaped by the elemental power of the sea. It consists of seven songs, such as the orchestral and cinematic The Storm and Sandsend, in which Hackett and Rothery bring up the best of their playing.
As they do in the Celtic rocking Red Dragon, The Roaring Waves, with a stunning acoustic guitars intro and the poppy K-129.
Pièce de résistance of the album is the stunning atmospheric and orchestral The Black Sea of which Rothery says: “I think The Black Sea is the perfect introduction to the sonic world we’ve creating between us. We have a very special chemistry.”, an observation you also can hear back in Pacific Coast Highway.
With that being said, Steve Hackett and Steve Rothery have released a stunning atmospheric and cinematic soundtrack which is a must for every prog rock fan around the globe.
Tracks:
01. The Storm
02. Sandsend
03. Red Dragon
04. The Roaring Waves
05. K-129
06. The Black Sea
07. Pacific Coast Highway
Websites:
https://www.hackettsongs.com/
https://www.steverothery.com/
Read also:
Want to discover more from Hackett & Rothery and related artists? Click on the titles below to read earlier articles on Bluestown Music.
Review: Steve Hackett – The Circus And The Nightwhale
Hackett combines progressive rock with orchestral and atmospheric elements on this concept album.
Review: Steve Hackett – The Lamb Stands Up Live At The Royal Albert Hall
Hackett revisits the music of Genesis during a performance at the Royal Albert Hall.
Review: Marillion – An Hour Before It’s Dark
A review of Marillion’s album featuring Steve Rothery’s distinctive guitar playing.
