W

W is the twenty-seventh studio album by Japanese experimental band Boris, released 21 January 2022 on the Sacred Bones label. Background W is intended to be a companion piece to the band's 2020 studio album NO, with the titles of the two albums combining to create the word NOW. Whereas the previous album focused on aggressive hardcore songs, W focuses on ethereal and ambient compositions to serve as a counterpoint. The two albums are intended to address the conflicts and uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the band describing the project as “a continuous circle of harshness and healing". Several reviewers noticed that W builds upon the song "Interlude" which closed the previous album, with other reviewers finding connections between various songs on each album. Among recent Boris albums, W is unusual because guitarist Wata performs all of the lead vocals.