NEWS: An Abstract Illusion live in a world without dreams…

Willowtip Records have premiered a music video for “No Dreams Beyond Empty Horizons“, a new single from critically acclaimed Swedish Extreme Metal act An Abstract Illusion. It serves as the first from a new album titled “The Sleeping City” which is set for a 17th October release via the label with the promise of something that explores the depths of the human psyche and suffering. As ever, a blend of Progressive Death Metal and Black Metal with arpeggiating synths, drones and vast soundscapes that hark back to 80’s science fiction horror movie soundtracks is anticipated.

The band comment: “When we compose an album we don’t want it to just be a collection of random songs, we want a holistic theme coursing through the album’s veins. When writing The Sleeping City we wanted to explore what the soundtrack to a dystopian sci-fi film, such as Blade Runner or Terminator, would sound like if it were written by a death metal band. 

For The Sleeping City, we took inspiration from acts such as Depeche Mode, My Bloody Valentine, Kite, Ólafur Arnalds and Boards of Canada, pushing us to expand and refine our sound palette. Going from the long-song format of Woe, it was a fun challenge to once again write self-contained songs with a clear beginning and end.

During the creation of this album we worked with a great team of collaborators. Produced by the band’s own Karl Westerlund, The Sleeping City was once again mixed and mastered by Robin Leijon. Drums were recorded and produced by Jakob Herrmann (Devin Townsend, Evergrey, VOLA, Vildhjärta) at the legendary Top Floor Studios in Gothenburg, who has captured some of our all-time favorite drum tones. The gorgeous artwork, a homage to early black metal’s painted artworks, was done by Alex Eckman-Lawn (Horrendous, Afterbirth, Woe, Nero Di Marte). We also worked with amazing musicians who provided us with beautiful strings and vocals.

With The Sleeping City we truly feel we’ve elevated our craft beyond anything we’ve done before and can’t wait for its release. Thank you all for your continued support!”