After a few years of silence, XIII Minutes is back — reforged as their strongest, hardest-hitting iteration yet.

The alternative metal band made a name for themselves with their album Obsessed, released in 2019 via Rottweiler Records. The album spawned the track “Who Told You,” which topped Christian rock charts. But then life seasons changed, and the band went dark.

Until now.

“I think the focus on the culture and collective goals is what sets this era apart,” reflects Jamie Kucinski, band founder and drummer. “When I started XIII Minutes, we were feeling our way around, working to understand who we were and where we wanted to go. Through every step and experience, clarity presented itself. Even during the hiatus, I began to better understand what I wanted to accomplish.”

That steady focusing in led Kucinski to recruiting a brand new lineup in 2023, a lineup united under the common purpose of the band’s culture: a culture defined by hope, community and fun. Jerrod Cunningham has joined on lead vocals, Thomas Wheat on guitar and backing vocals and Preston Bell on bass and backing vocals.

“Everyone started the path with their eyes wide open and made an educated decision on whether they wanted to share in the journey or not,” Kucinski says of this new lineup.

Fortunately, that’s the kind of approach that aligns perfectly with what the fans want. As the band has taken shape into its brand-new form, listeners have quickly found themselves recognizing the band they’ve always loved in these new trappings.

Jamie Kucinski explains, “The interesting thing about all of it is the amount of celebration at the resurrection — even with a new line up. The overwhelming response has been that those who have supported XIII Minutes over the years missed the culture most of all, and they’re so glad to have that back, no matter the names taking the stage.”

This new cast of players has already been tested and approved on stages such as Lifest, The 107.1 KOUJ Block Party and Rock N The River Festival. Now, the band is hard at work preparing new songs for release, some of which already debuted at these festival appearances.

“It's much more hard rock influenced,” Kucinski says of the new music. “The lyrical content will be less metaphorical, possessing much more clarity in message.”

Live hits “Fake” and “Cult Leader” are among those new, clarified musical moments. Jamie Kucinski considers these some of the most meaningful tracks of the band’s 8 year history, songs that promise to ensure that the revitalized XIII Minutes community continues to spread.