From the Pyre


From the Pyre is the second studio album by the British rock band the Last Dinner Party, released on 17 October 2025 on Island Records. Produced by Markus Dravs and mixed by Alan Moulder, the album was preceded by the singles, "This Is the Killer Speaking", "The Scythe" and "Second Best". The album is the follow-up to their critically acclaimed and award-nominated debut album, 2024's Prelude to Ecstasy.
After touring extensively with the band throughout 2024 and 2025, regular session drummer Casper Miles participated in the writing and recording process of the album alongside the core band members.

Background and style

Originally, work had begun on the album in late 2024 with producer James Ford, who had produced the band's debut album, Prelude to Ecstasy, released earlier that year. However, Ford had to leave the following year after being diagnosed with leukaemia. By July, Ford had been in remission. From the Pyre was ultimately recorded in 2025 with producer Markus Dravs. The band said the songs from the album "are character-driven but still deeply personal," adding that the record is intended to be "a little darker, more raw and more earthy" than Prelude to Ecstasy.

Promotion and singles

On 17 July 2025, the band released the lead single "This Is the Killer Speaking" alongside a music video and the announcement for the album. The song, which originally debuted live at the Metronome Festival in Prague in June 2024, was described in Billboard as "jaunty" and "country-tinged". The second single, "The Scythe", was released on 5 September with another music video and additional details for their upcoming tour. On 1 October, they released the third single "Second Best" with a lyric video. The song, which took inspiration from Sparks, was written by the Last Dinner Party's guitarist Emily Roberts, and it is based on her experience in a past relationship that involved recurrent betrayal. Upon the album's release, the band revealed a music video for the album track "Count the Ways". On 16 November 2025, band released the music video for "Sail Away".
The band began a UK tour in October 2025 and will embark on a thirty-one date North American tour in March 2026.

Critical reception

Another aggregator, AnyDecentMusic?, gave the album 8.2 out of 10 based on 19 reviews. Writing for The Line of Best Fit, John Amen gave the album an 8/10 rating and concluded, "Pyre, like/perhaps slightly more than Prelude, is fiercely ambitious, gloriously messy, and wickedly entrancing".

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.

The Last Dinner Party

Additional musicians

  • Casper Miles – drums
  • Miriam Wakeling – cello
  • Cristina Cooper – cello
  • Cecil Bignall – cello
  • Fraser Bowles – cello
  • Jordan Black, Jordi Juan Perez – clarinet
  • Pedro López, Rebecca Speller – flute
  • Sian Collins – French horn
  • Elise Campbell – French horn
  • Eleanor Blakeney – French horn
  • Lorna Blackwood – programming
  • Nathen Durasamy – string arrangement
  • Elliot Slater – tenor saxophone
  • Jane Salmon – trombone
  • Phil Entwistle – trombone
  • Adam Chatterton, Matt Roberts – trumpet
  • Harry Evans, Kaitlin Wild – trumpet
  • Helena Sánchez, Irene Katsenelson – viola
  • Jordan Bergmans – viola
  • Duncan Commin – viola
  • Will Harvey – violin
  • Kelly Moncaka, William Newell – violin
  • Tadasuke Iljima – violin
  • Collie Chan, Yuliya Ostapchuk – violin
  • Elena Abad – violin
  • Cristina Morell, Laci Olah – violin
  • Coco Inman, Iryna Glyebova, Stuart McDonald – violin

Technical