Following his acclaimed 2020 album The Red Planet, Rick Wakeman makes a triumphant and inevitable return to Mars with Return To The Red Planet, a sweeping new progressive work that fuses science, imagination and musical virtuosity into one of the most ambitious recordings of his career. Return To The Red Planet will be released on the Madfish label on October 16th.
Once I started looking at the new data and photographs, I realised there was an entirely new album waiting to be written. There was simply too much more to say about Mars – musically and spiritually – not to return.” – Rick Wakeman
At a time when space exploration has moved back to the forefront of human endeavour – with missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond once again capturing the world’s imagination – Return To The Red Planet feels both timely and visionary, rekindling the cosmic spirit that helped define progressive rock’s golden age.
Where its predecessor opened the story, this album explores the planet’s ancient lakes, vast canyon systems, shifting dust storms and geological epochs, drawing directly on the remarkable images and research that have transformed our understanding of Mars in recent years, Wakeman immersing himself in planetary research, data, and mission reports before a single note was written.
Recorded between August 2025 and January 2026, the project also marks a welcome return to full band recording, with all musicians working together at Decoy Studios – a creative approach Wakeman considers essential to capturing the spontaneity and energy of progressive rock at its best.
The album is performed by Wakeman’s English Rock Ensemble, featuring bassist Lee Pomeroy, guitarist Dave Colquhoun, drummer Adam Falkner and vocalist Mollie Marriott, daughter of legendary Steve Marriott. The album was mastered by renowned engineer Simon Heyworth.
Among the album’s centrepieces is Bowie’s Vision, a deeply personal homage to Wakeman’s friend David Bowie, whose fascination with Mars helped shape popular culture’s image of the planet. The connection is more than thematic: Wakeman performed the iconic piano on Bowie’s Life on Mars?, making this tribute both musical and autobiographical – a reflection on a shared history, a lasting friendship and one of rock’s most celebrated recordings.
The music was initially composed as keyboard “templates” at Nursery Studios, before being expanded collaboratively by the band at Decoy Studios and engineered by Toby Wood. Final overdubs and mixing with producer/engineer Erik Jordan bring the vision into sharp focus – from sweeping symphonic passages to intricate rhythmic sequences and haunting choral textures.
Return To The Red Planet tracklist:
The Jezero Crater – 06:56
Bowie’s Vision – 05:45
Noctis Labyrinthus – 05:28
Noachis Terra (Land of Noah) – 06:23
Witch Hazel Hill – 04:02
St Paul’s Bay – 06:53
Martian Dust Devils – 04:53
Medusae Fossae – 04:26
The Epochs of Mars – 07:45
– CD/Blu-ray edition – Includes CD of the studio album + Blu-ray disc featuring Dolby Atmos, 5.1 Surround Sound & Hi-Res Stereo Mixes and The Making Of The ‘Return To The Red Planet’ Documentary + 20-page printed booklet. Features an immersive 3D pop-up of Wakeman’s spacecraft landed on Mars
– Gatefold 2LP edition – pressed on Transparent Orange Vinyl and features an immersive 3D pop-up Of Wakeman’s spacecraft landed on Mars
Pre-order here: https://rickwakemanmadfish.lnk.to/Return_To_The_Red_Planet
