South London blues rockers The Karma Effect have released their new single Waiting On A Miracle, the first taste of fresh studio material since last year’s sophomore album Promised Land unexpectedly crashed into the Top 20 of the Official UK Album Chart.
The band – Henry Gottelier (vocals/guitar), Robbie Blake (guitar), Nathan Keevil (bass), Alan Taylor (drums) and Tom Pitt (keyboards) – have also confirmed details of their eagerly awaited third studio album. Titled Cruel Intentions, it will be released via Earache Records on 15 May 2026.
Frontman Henry describes Waiting On A Miracle as an uplifting, vintage-soaked rock ‘n’ roll anthem, built on everything the band love about classic rock and driven by a hard-hitting riff with a distinctly American feel.
Lyrically, the track tells the story of a down-and-out underdog who has been written off as a loser and stuck on the wrong side of luck, until he flips the script, gets the girl and finds himself in a moment that feels like magic. It is a celebration of unexpected victories and the belief that something better is always just around the corner.
Waiting On A Miracle takes the bluesy swagger of Creedence Clearwater Revival, the loose, funky horn lines of The Rolling Stones’ Exile On Main Street and the iconic Margarita Horns sound of Aerosmith’s Fairbairn years, turning those influences into something unmistakably The Karma Effect.
The band began recording Cruel Intentions at The Hive Rooms, in the shadow of Gatwick Airport, at the start of July 2025, emerging four weeks later with a fully realised third studio album.
Cruel Intentions features eleven new anthems (twelve on the bonus edition).Its Spring 2026 release follows the Top 20 success of Promised Land, a record that cemented the band’s status as one of British guitar music’s most exciting young outfits. “We want every show to feel massive,” Henry says.
The new album captures the visceral atmosphere of The Karma Effect’s lauded live performances and stands as the most complete, crystal clear realisation of their ambitions to date: leaner, louder and joyously larger than life. Exploring love, lust and danger with dark passion and flashes of cheekiness, these songs balance swagger with wit, all under the banner of the band’s ‘modern vintage’ approach and taking the retro sounds they were raised on and polishing them into something fresh and contemporary.
Working once again with producer Michael Charman, the band brought in Mercury and GRAMMY-nominated Romesh Dodangoda to handle the mix, focused on making every note count. The result, Henry says, is a sound so big that it feels like a stadium experience for your ears.
The Waiting On A Miracle video is available to watch now, with the single ready to pre-save and stream on all major platforms. Cruel Intentions is available to pre-order in signed editions, limited alternate artwork versions, limited coloured vinyl and more via Earache Records.
