’80s Rock Band Gives Fans Another Update on Long-Awaited First Album in 9 Years

Europe, the Swedish rock band behind what is arguably one of the biggest rock hits ever, “The Final Countdown,” is coming back with a new album after nine years. The new record, called Come This Madness, is set to be released on Sept. 25, 2026, but Europe has been teasing fans with updates in the lead-up to the big release day.

Alongside the announcement of the new album in April, Europe released the first new single, “One on One.” Now, with only a few months left until Come This Madness is here, the band has released another song from the album.

The new track is called “The Cult of Ignorance,” and it’s written by lead vocalist Joey Tempest and keyboardist Mic Michaeli. The song and music video dropped on June 3, and fans already can’t get enough of it.

Fans hyped up “The Cult of Ignorance” in the comments on YouTube, with one calling it a “total banger.”

A few standout replies included, “It’s 2026 and Europe is still showing the world how real hard rock is done!… Absolute respect to the legends!” and “Europe!!! Still killing it after all these years. I’m so happy for them and excited for this new album. This song ROCKS!!!! Can’t stop listening to it. Mind blown!”

Related: 1975 Rock Classic Inspired by Young Frankenstein Became One of Rock’s Most Enduring Hits Despite Missing No. 1

In a statement alongside the second single’s release, Tempest said, via Noise11, “It’s a straightforward rock anthem with lyrics reflecting the times we live in, written slightly tongue in cheek… It reflects some of the negative tendencies emerging in our world today, though it is written in a slightly light-hearted tone.”

While fans haven’t gotten to hear any of the other tracks on the album yet, a few of the intriguing titles include “The Angels Must Have Flown,” “Nothing Can Follow This,” and “Scandinavian Eyes.”

Come This Madness will be Europe’s first new album since Walk the Earth, which came out in October 2017.

Related: ’80s Heavy Metal Band Announces First Regional Tour in Seven Years