NONPOINT's ELIAS SORIANO Says 'The Last Word' Album Was In The Works 'For About Two Years'

In a new interview with the JJO Discover New Music Podcast, NONPOINT vocalist Elias Soriano spoke about the band's eleventh studio album, "The Last Word", which came out on September 18, 2026, through 361 Degrees Records. Asked when he and his bandmates decided that it was finally time to make a full-length follow-up to 2018's "X" LP, Elias said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We were in that mode for about two years. And with things being booked, the international market just absolutely blew up and opened up for us. So we started going overseas quite a bit, and we just didn't find the time to really give the music and the body of work the respect that not doing a record for seven or eight years deserved."

Soriano continued: "It really first started with knowing that we all needed to be on the same page of where we wanted to go creatively, and not moving until we did. But at the same time, still writing. Now, we were writing songs, writing songs, writing songs like crazy, but, for the lack of a better sentiment, it really wasn't inspiring. I don't think it was inspiring any of us as it should have been. And then it was one song. It was one song. And, actually, it's the last song on 'The Last Word'. It's called 'Settled'. And it was a very tumultuous time. I really focused in on a moment that was happening. And I went back and grabbed a song that we hadn't touched in over a year, and I completely gutted it. I took it completely apart — I moved this thing here, I moved this thing here, I was chopping up stuff, I was redoing riffs, I was taking these two parts of this riff and adding 'em to this one part of this riff, but ending with the part of over here; I was, like, literally Frankensteining this one — and then once I heard the music was what inspired me. Then I literally wrote the verses and the chorus in probably about an hour. And then I sent it to the guys. And for the first time in — at that point, I would say it was about 18 songs, everybody agreed that that song was great. And I was, like, 'Okay, this is where we need to go. We need to go in this direction. So if we can't all feel as strong as anything else that we write, as strong as we feel about this, it just doesn't belong. Let's just keep moving.' And everybody really, really — it just happened. It happened."

When "The Last Word" was first announced in July, Soriano described the symbolic pencil featured on the cover as a reflection of both longevity and perseverance.

"This album cover tells a piece of our story," he said. "After years of making music, we feel more aligned than ever — musically, visually, and creatively. We're writing some of the strongest material of our career, our live shows are as powerful as they've ever been, and the band feels focused and energized. The pencil on the cover represents what it's like to be handed one last tool and expected to fit everything you have left to say into it. Not because the ideas are gone, but because longevity often comes with assumptions and limits. 'The Last Word' isn't about accepting an ending. It's about challenging that narrative. If this is the pencil we're being handed, we're going to use it — and make sure the words written with it still matter."

For more than two decades, NONPOINT has remained one of hard rock's most resilient and respected acts, earning millions of streams, multiple charting singles, and a fiercely loyal global fanbase through relentless touring and uncompromising musicianship. "The Last Word" finds the band firing on all cylinders, proving they have no intention of slowing down.

NONPOINT is a veteran South Florida nu‑metal/alternative metal band formed in 1997 by vocalist Elias Soriano and drummer Robb Rivera, known for high‑energy live shows, groove‑driven riffs, and raw, socially charged lyrics. Drawing from alternative metal, hardcore, hip‑hop and Latin‑inflected rhythm, they broke out with early releases like "What A Day" from the album "Statement" (2000) and quickly became road warriors — appearing on cornerstone festivals such as Ozzfest and Rock On The Range and sharing stages with acts including SEVENDUST, DISTURBED and STONE SOUR. Their muscular cover of Phil Collins's "In The Air Tonight", later featured in the film "Miami Vice", helped introduce the band to a wider audience and remains one of their most recognizable recordings.

Throughout the 2000s NONPOINT sharpened their sound on albums including "Recoil" (2004) and "To The Pain" (2005),the latter featuring the fan‑favorite anthem "Bullet With A Name", a live and streaming staple that helped define the band's place in the modern heavy landscape. That momentum carried into the 2010s with hard‑hitting singles like "Breaking Skin" and "Generation Idiot", setting the stage for a prolific modern era highlighted by the launch of their own independent label 361 Degrees Records, followed by the "Ruthless" EP in 2021 and the "Heartless" EP released in 2023, through which they've continued to roll out standout tracks like "Ruthless", "Paper Tigers" and later the single "A Million Watts".

With hundreds of thousands of albums sold and a catalog packed with setlist anchors like "Bullet With A Name", "Ruthless", "What A Day" and "In The Air Tonight", NONPOINT remains a cornerstone name in heavy music, equally at home in packed clubs and on the biggest festival stages. In recent interviews they've spoken openly about this new album pushing toward what they describe as the "most NONPOINT record yet," featuring the first single "Is It" doubling down on groove, aggression and big‑chorus songwriting that keeps their long‑running fanbase engaged while inviting new listeners into the fold.

NONPOINT is:

Elias Soriano (Lead Vocals)
Robb Rivera (Drums)
Rasheed Thomas (Guitar /Backing Vocals)
Adam Woloszyn (Bass)
Jason Zeilstra (Lead Guitar)

Photo credit: Drew Johnston