Challenger Deep is an instrumental rock band out of Atlanta, Georgia for fans of artists like The Fall of Troy, Protest The Hero, Chon, Polyphia, Plain & Intervals. Born of a passion for music and a light-hearted camaraderie, they continue to push their creative limits to create music that is both technically interesting and fun to listen to. Individual styles cultivated over years of playing combine into the boundless possibilities that instrumental music has to offer. The band has performed sold-out shows with He Is Legend, Norma Jean, Satyr, Catbamboo & Bit Brigade, has shared the stage with notable bands like Light The Torch, Moon Tooth & Hikes, Via Luna, The Speed of Sound In Seawater, The Most & Coletta.

Immersive Atlanta had this to say about the single The Great Calamity: “The Great Calamity” is the sort of wild roller coaster ride that feels like it should come with its own carnival barker. Jaw-dropping finger tapping! Electrifying runs! Amazing feats of rhythmic skill! It even has cowbell for fuck’s sake. The whole thing is just one long giddy rush that never stops surprising or delighting. So, yeah, it’s all a bit ridiculous. Ridiculously fun. Ridiculously talented. Ridiculously good.

“Data Diamond is the sound of FOUR STROKE BARON at their most confidently unhinged. Originally conceived as two separate EPs (one purely electronic – Data, one heavy – Diamond) that would then meld together on one full length release, the idea morphed into what is now the succinct sucker punch of an album that is heading our way at speed.

Data Diamond is a dizzying sub-40 minute dive into the deranged psyches of its creators. The tracks on Data Diamond are lithe yet still allow enough room for idiosyncratic flourishes that mark this out as a true FOUR STROKE BARON opus. If Classics was a Man vs. Food belly busting plate of indulgence, Data Diamond is an upmarket Gordon Ramsay dish, served with a side of insanity.

With this, their fourth full length, FOUR STROKE BARON has blossomed into the self-absorbed, wildly confident, musically deranged partnership that they were always destined to be – and it sounds incredible.”

-Becky Laverty

For nearly fifteen years, Outrun the Sunlight built its identity without a vocalist. Founded in Chicago in 2011 by guitarist Austin Isaac Peters, the band emerged from the early progressive metal and djent movement, drawing inspiration from artists such as The Contortionist, Veil of Maya, and Periphery. What began as a practical decision soon became an artistic philosophy. Instrumental music allowed the band to tell stories without words, creating emotional journeys through melody, atmosphere, and dynamic composition rather than explicit narratives. It broke down language barriers, and allowed for people to connect with the music no matter where they came from.

Across four albums, Outrun the Sunlight evolved far beyond its roots. Early releases like The Return of Inertia and Terrapin explored metaphysical themes, alternate realities, and psychedelic concepts before shifting toward more personal territory on Red Bird, an album centered on love, relationships, and loss. Their most recent full-length, A Vast Field of Silence, drew inspiration from spirituality, non-duality, and the search for deeper connection. Throughout that evolution, the band’s music became known for blending the emotional scope of post-rock with the weight and complexity of progressive metal, while maintaining a distinctly human quality in an era increasingly defined by perfection and digital precision.

The band has performed throughout the United States and Europe, including appearances at ArcTanGent (UK), Dunk!Festival (BE), and Post. Festival (US), earning a dedicated audience drawn to immersive, emotionally driven heavy music.

But despite years of growth, Peters felt something changing.

For nearly two years, he found himself returning to the same realization: the next chapter of Outrun the Sunlight needed vocals. Not because instrumental music had reached its limits, but because he had finally arrived at a point in life where he felt he had something to say. The melodies had always been there. The voice had always been there. The story did not.

And then came the birth of “Protector.”

The band’s first release featuring Peters as lead vocalist, “Protector” marks the beginning of a new era for Outrun the Sunlight. Written from personal experience, the song explores the loss of someone who once served as a source of guidance, comfort, and authority. At its core, it is a meditation on reclaiming personal power and confronting the question, “Who am I when the person I depended on is no longer with me?”

While deeply autobiographical, “Protector” leaves space for listeners to find themselves within its themes of grief, identity, self-trust, and transformation. Musically, it combines the band’s cinematic foundation with its most aggressive
and emotionally direct songwriting to date, offering a glimpse into a larger body of work that explores psychology, spirituality, and the complexities of the human experience. The track was produced and mixed by the band at Audiotree Studios and mastered by Acle Kahney of Tesseract.

Today, Outrun the Sunlight consists of Austin Isaac Peters (guitar, vocals), Phil Kalas (bass), Luke Angle (drums), and Konstantine “Ken” Stebliy (guitar). Though the band’s sound continues to evolve, its mission remains unchanged: to create unconventional heavy music that moves people deeply.

The addition of vocals is not a reinvention. It is the natural continuation of a journey that began fifteen years ago and a search for the most honest way to express what has always been there. “Protector” is available digitally worldwide on June 22, 2026.