ØLYP – I(m)MORTAL Debut Features Strings Across Four Compositions

ØLYP’s debut album, I(m)MORTAL, includes string performances on “Solace,” “Molden” and both parts of “The Great Denial.” The instrumental progressive metal release is available on CD, LP and digital through Klonosphere, with distribution by Season of Mist.

Violinists Pauline Henric and Zoé Sallefranque, violist Sylvain Rullier and cellist Eugénie Ursch contribute to those compositions. Their performances expand the instrumentation of the duo, which consists of Thibaud Lépicier on guitar and bass and David Annenkoff on drums.

The announcement presents I(m)MORTAL as a reflection on humanity’s relationship with nature, environmental collapse, collective inaction and individualism. These subjects are addressed without lyrics, using instrumental contrasts rather than a sung narrative. The source describes concern, frustration and hope as coexisting within that approach, leaving the themes open to interpretation.

Musically, the press release describes a combination of heavy riffs, intricate rhythms and controlled crescendos interrupted by quieter passages. Repetition, silence and technical detail form part of the narrative, while violin, viola and cello contribute both scale and more fragile textures. The announcement references DVNE, PSYCHONAUT, NIGHT VERSES, RUSSIAN CIRCLES and THE OCEAN as points of comparison.

Conceived in the Norwegian fjords, ØLYP now operates between southern France and Belgium. The supplied background connects the project’s initial landscape with the environmental questions explored on the album, while identifying France and Belgium as its current working bases.

Chiaran Verheyden recorded the drums and also handled mixing and mastering. David Castel recorded the guitars, bass and strings. The announcement credits James K. Barbosa with photography and Journal of Emptiness with artwork.

The album is available to stream, purchase and download through the supplied Bandcamp release page.

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