Search Results: haken

• Fantasy Meets Prog - CEPHEIDAE VARIABLE “Carving a Dragon” Opens The Gates To Debut "Primordial Reverie" Out Nov 2025

  Sep 30, 2025 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  Cepheidae Variable, the one-man progressive metal project helmed by Kelowna, Canada, guitarist and composer Ryan Koepke, has officially unveiled its debut single, “Carving a Dragon,” accompanied by a playthrough video. The track serves as the first glimpse into Cepheidae Variable’s upcoming debut full-length instrumental album, "Primordial Reverie," set for release on November 7th, 2025.

  Originally conceived as a personal exploration of musical growth, Cepheidae Variable evolved into a deeply emotional and ambitious endeavour following Koepke’s father’s cancer diagnosis and the news of his own impending fatherhood.

  “I stopped waiting around and created something I’d be proud of. This album became a reflection of emotional turbulence, hope, and transformation,” shares Koepke.

  “Carving a Dragon” was the first track written for the album, and one of the most challenging. Inspired by Robin Hobb’s Assassin’s Quest, the song symbolizes pouring one’s soul into creation and marks the beginning of Koepke’s journey as a solo recording artist. With its energetic, uplifting fantasy feel, it stands in contrast to the moodier, sci-fi-themed tracks that follow.

  “There were many times during the writing process I considered scrapping this song. The result is something that has stuck with me and has a lot of meaning to not only myself, but also friends and family who supported me,” says Koepke.

  The album itself is a genre-defying instrumental narrative, weaving through symphonic fantasy, sci-fi textures, and progressive complexity. Koepke describes the sound as “spacey, weird, melodic, melancholic, happy,” and cites influences ranging from Dream Theater and Haken to Wintersun and Caligula’s Horse. Divided into three distinct acts, "Primordial Reverie" challenges listeners to experience the full arc of its story, with recurring motifs and evolving themes that reward repeat listens.

  The album artwork, created by renowned collage artist Alex Eckman-Lawn, evokes feelings of loneliness, wonder, and cosmic mystery, mirroring the tonal shift that occurs midway through the album.

  "I especially enjoyed this artwork because of the amount of interpretation it allows from the viewer. It was a heavy influence on the tonal shift this album undergoes." Koepke notes.

  With "Primordial Reverie," Koepke aims to release a new album every 2–4 years, continuing to push the boundaries of solo composition and progressive storytelling. Though currently instrumental, Cepheidae Variable may evolve into a collaborative or vocal project in the future.

  Recommended for listeners of Dream Theater, Haken, Intervals, Wintersun, and Caligula’s Horse, “Carving a Dragon” can be heard and watched via its playthrough premiere on TheProgSpace HERE.

  Add to your Spotify playlist - https://open.spotify.com/track/50cqqMHKWKJl9ahcdXY5xD​

  Digital Album pre-save (out Nov 7th) "Primordial Reverie" - https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/cepheidaevariable/primordial-reverie​

  CD Album pre-order - https://cepheidaevariable.bandcamp.com/album/primordial-reverie​​

  Track Listing:​
  1. Overture (3:11)
  2. Carving a Dragon (4:04)
  3. The Waiting Storm (3:13)
  4. Zephyr of Ouroboros (9:15)
  5. Encounter (5:53)
  6. The Conduit (6:03)
  7. Chromatic Haven (5:11)
  8. Entropic Harvester (10:27)
  9. Singularity (11:32)
  Album Length: 58:53

  For more info: https://cepheidaevariable.com/

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• SYMBIOTIC GROWTH Unleashes New Lyric Video "Lost in Fractured Reveries" From New Album "Beyond The Sleepless Aether"

  May 15, 2025 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  Canadian progressive blackened death unit Symbiotic Growth has unleashed their latest lyric video, "Lost in Fractured Reveries," in support of their sophomore album "Beyond The Sleepless Aether," released digitally on March 28th, 2025, and available on limited edition CD from Bolverk Collective.

  Similar to the band's predecessor, their 2020 self-titled full-length, "Beyond The Sleepless Aether," is once again based in fiction and is lyrically conceptual, but dives more into thoughts and emotions of everyday life, and sometimes those thoughts are hard to deal with. It's progressive, experimental, foreboding, and emotional; every song has its own identity and place within the album's story, taking its protagonist through the multiverse, placing him in places like dark wooded forests, wide open desert landscapes, and the unending cosmos.

  The band comments on the track "Lost In Fractured Reveries":

  "The song is about the last stop through the protagonist's journey on the proggiest song on the album. He finds himself floating within the cosmos, seeing all of time and every universe being woven together like a web, contemplating his entire existence, whether he ever even mattered in any time or in any universe. The jumping time signatures and tempo changes lend a hand to the uncertainty that feels within the song."

  Watch and listen to the lyric video at https://youtu.be/mrfCcx7U4Fk

  [embed]https://youtu.be/mrfCcx7U4Fk[/embed]

  Mixed and mastered by Tom MacLean (Twelve Tone Studio, Haken, Athemon, Brutta), "Beyond The Sleepless Aether" features seven paryalzing sounds of technical metal created by the Sudbury, ON recording line up of Aaron Barriault (Vocals, Guitar, Bass), Devin McQueen (Vocals, Guitar), and Dan Favot (Drums)(ex-Wolven Ancestry, ex-Fractal Generator).

  "I think the fans who have heard our previous album may be a bit surprised; the sound of this album is a bit different; it's a little bit more experimental in its way. Either way, we hope that fans enjoy what we've created. I feel like the listener may have feelings of uneasiness and wonder. An odd combination, but I feel like it's fitting," adds Aaron Barriault – Vocals, Guitar, Bass.

  "Beyond The Sleepless Aether" is recommended for fans of Ne Oblivisacaris, Der Weg Einer Freiheit, Cor Scorpii, and Gojira.

  The album can be heard on the following digital platforms:

  YouTube (Album Stream) - https://youtu.be/CSOzIaRlo6E​

  Spotify - https://spoti.fi/42m1Mlp​

  Bandcamp - https://symbioticgrowth.bandcamp.com​

  CD Order is available at https://www.bolverkcollective.com/symbioticgrowth​

  Track Listing:​
  1. Of Painted Skies and Dancing Lights - 7:03
  2. Spires Of The Boundless Sunset – 7:28
  3. The Architect Of Annihilation – 10:57
  4. The Sleepless Void – 9:52
  5. Arid Trials and Barren Sands – 7:35
  6. Lost in Fractured Reveries – 8:44
  7. Trading Thoughts For Sleep – 10:02
  Album Length: 1:01:43

  Album Credits:​
  Mixed and Mastered By Tom Maclean of Twelve Tone Studio
  Album Art by Erskine Designs

  Album Band Line Up​
  Aaron Barriault – Vocals, Guitar, Bass
  Devin McQueen – Vocals, Guitar
  Dan Favot – Drums

  Live Band Line Up​
  Aaron Barriault - Vocals, Guitar
  Dan Favot - Drums

  For more info: Facebook.com/SymbioticGrowth | Instagram.com/symbioticgrowth

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• SYMBIOTIC GROWTH Unleash Progressive Death Album "Beyond The Sleepless Aether"; Mixed and Mastered by Tom Maclean (Haken, Athemon, Brutta)

  Mar 28, 2025 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  Canadian progressive blackened death unit Symbiotic Growth unleashes their sophomore album "Beyond The Sleepless Aether," now available as of March 28th, 2025. Similar to the band's predecessor, their 2020 self-titled full-length, "Beyond The Sleepless Aether," is once again based in fiction and is lyrically conceptual, but dives more into thoughts and emotions of everyday life, and sometimes those thoughts are hard to deal with.

  "I feel like this time around, the sound is a bit darker and experimental, with more synth-heavy sounds and a melancholy atmosphere. The lyrics were very loosely inspired by a dream I (Aaron) had about the multiverse theory intertwined with some of my challenges of dealing with a sense of being and why we are all here," says Aaron Barriault (Vocals, Guitar, Bass).

  Progressive, experimental, foreboding, and emotional, every song has its own identity and its place within the album's story, taking its protagonist through the multiverse, placing him in places like dark wooded forests, wide open desert landscapes, and the unending cosmos.

  The full-length listening experience tackles strong topics of loneliness, a sense of being, self-hatred, and suicide. Some of these are blatant and easy to see, and others subtly, throughout the course of the album, lyrically and musically.

  "I think the fans who have heard our previous album may be a bit surprised; the sound of this album is a bit different; it's a little bit more experimental in its own way. Either way, we hope that fans enjoy what we've created. I feel like the listener may have feelings of uneasiness and wonder. An odd combination, but I feel like it's fitting.

  Mixed and mastered by Tom Maclean (Twelve Tone Studio, Haken, Athemon, Brutta), "Beyond The Sleepless Aether", features seven paryalzing sounds of technical metal created by the Sudbury, ON recording line up of Aaron Barriault (Vocals, Guitar, Bass), Devin Mcqueen (Vocals, Guitar), and Dan Favot (Drums)(ex-Wolven Ancestry, ex-Fractal Generator). The artwork was created by Erskine Designs and shows an entity standing at the foot of what the band likes to think of as Azathoth.

  "The album doesn't touch on any Lovecraftian mythos (maybe a bit in The Sleepless Void), but the lore behind Azathoth, that we are all in his dream and once he wakes everything will cease to be, is very fitting to the album lyrically," adds Barriault.

  Recommended for fans of Ne Oblivisacaris, Der Weg Einer Freiheit, Cor Scorpii, and Gojira, "Beyond The Sleepless Aether" is available at the following links:

  Spotify - https://spoti.fi/42m1Mlp

  ​Bandcamp - https://symbioticgrowth.bandcamp.com/album/beyond-the-sleepless-aether-3

  Track Listing:​
  1. Of Painted Skies and Dancing Lights - 7:03
  2. Spires Of The Boundless Sunset – 7:28
  3. The Architect Of Annihilation – 10:57
  4. The Sleepless Void – 9:52
  5. Arid Trials and Barren Sands – 7:35
  6. Lost in Fractured Reveries – 8:44
  7. Trading Thoughts For Sleep – 10:02
  Album Length: 1:01:43

  Album Credits:​
  Mixed and Mastered By Tom Maclean of Twelve Tone Studio
  Album Art by Erskine Designs

  Album Band Line Up​
  Aaron Barriault – Vocals, Guitar, Bass
  Devin Mcqueen – Vocals, Guitar
  Dan Favot – Drums

  Live Band Line Up​
  Aaron Barriault - Vocals, Guitar
  Dan Favot - Drums

  For more info: Facebook.com/SymbioticGrowth | Instagram.com/symbioticgrowth​

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• Streaming Now! Prog Collective LUNAR Unveils Groundbreaking Concept Album “Tempora Mutantur”

  Jan 30, 2025 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  Sacramento, USA’s progressive metal pioneers LUNAR are set to release their most ambitious project to date, “Tempora Mutantur” on January 31, 2025. A meticulously crafted concept album that explores the intricate passages of time, personal transformation, and emotional landscapes, the record represents a milestone in the band's continuing musical evolution. They comment on the release:

  “We’re very excited to present our new album “Tempora Mutantur” to the world! This album is more thematic rather than conceptual like the last album. This album deals with something everyone can relate to and no one can escape: the passing of time. As we get older, our perspective changes, we gain some things, and lose others… sometimes the things and ones we love. And we struggle and fight along the way.”

  Lunar hopes that fans will be able to resonate with the album and find some solace in it as it is highly relatable to the theme of time passing. Continued and driven by drummer and primary songwriter Alex Bosson (Helion Prime, Planeswalker) after the passing of co-band founder Ryan Erwin in 2018, the album is the result of a deeply personal and introspective creative process.

  The album's eight tracks weave a complex narrative that explores themes of seasonal change as metaphors for personal growth, mental health, and the passage of time. From the opening track to the three-part title suite that closes the album, Lunar demonstrates its unique ability to transform personal struggles into universal musical statements that resonate with listeners on multiple levels. The album is recommended for fans of Haken, Tool, and Porcupine Tree.

  Listen to the album stream premiere of “Tempora Mutantur” via Decibel Magazine HERE.

  ​

  Lunar's fresh lineup features guitarists Carlos Alvarez and Connor McCray (Vis Mystica) along with keyboardist Anthony Stahl plus album guests Wayne Ingram (Wildrun), Joe Gullace (Thank You Scientist), and Sam Vallen (Caligula's Horse).

  A studio project since first conceived in 2014, LUNAR will make its live debut next year at the 2025 Hyperspace Metal Festival in Vancouver, BC, Canada on April 11th. Info here.

  LUNAR's "Tempora Mutantur" will be available from Saibot Reigns Records as of January 31st, 2025.

  Album pre-order - http://lunarbandofficial.bandcamp.com/​

  ​

  (Album Artwork by Ed Bosson)

  Track Listing:​
  1. A Summer To Forget – 6:37
  2. Fall Back Into Old Habits – 11:16 ft. guest guitar solo by Wayne Ingram (Wilderun)
  3. Seasonal Interlude – 4:47
  4. Weakening Winter Touch – 8:46
  5. Spring In My Step – 7:26
  6. Tempora Mutantur: Part I – Passage of Time – 3:12 ft. guest guitar solo by Sam Vallen (Caligula's Horse)
  7. Tempora Mutantur: Part II – Broken Pendulum – 3:47
  8. Tempora Mutantur: Part III – Watch The Weather Change – 4:51
  Album Length: 50:45

  Album Credits:​
  Performance and Writing credits - full info HERE.
  Produced by: Alex Bosson
  Mixed by: Carlos Alvarez
  Mastered by: Tony Lindgren

  Album Main Lineup:​
  Chandler Mogel – Clean Vocals
  Brian Lewis – Growl Vocals
  Carlos Alvarez – Rhythm Guitar
  Connor McCray – Lead Guitar
  Ryan Price – Bass
  Alex Bosson – Drums
  Anthony Stahl – Keyboards

  Live Lineup:​
  Chandler Mogel – Clean Vocals
  Brian Lewis – Growl Vocals
  Jordan Price – Guitars
  Ryan Price – Bass
  Alex Bosson - Drums

  For more info: Facebook.com/lunarbandofficial | Instagram.com/lunarbandofficial | X.com/LunarBandOffcl | Spotify

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• Take A Cinematic Climb Over "The Mountain" w/ New Video From THE MOURNING (ft. members Witherfall, 3 Headed Snake)

  Dec 18, 2024 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  Take A Cinematic Climb Over "The Mountain" w/ New Video From THE MOURNING (ft. members Witherfall, 3 Headed Snake)

  New Album "Hush" Out Now!

  Album Guests - Francesco Pinter (Berklee alumnus), Charlie Robbins (Syncatto, Artificial Language), Thomas Griggs (Intervals), Jeff Pogan (ex-Suicidal Tendencies), Trey Xavier (Gear Gods)

  Florida, USA’s progressive metal powerhouse The Mourning has just released their captivating new music video for “The Mountain” a visually stunning exploration of tranquility, spiritual connection, and personal transformation from their latest album “Hush” released earlier this year. The band comments on the conception of the track:

  “The single was written while overlooking the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, capturing the serene experience of escaping the city’s hustle and bustle. This song reflects how such tranquility can bring a closer connection to one's inner divine.”

  The track starts with a soft, beautiful melody that mirrors the peacefulness of the mountains, gradually evolving into a powerful prog metal anthem. This transition symbolizes the awakening of deeper spiritual consciousness. As the song progresses, intricate instrumental layers and complex rhythms emerge. The soaring vocals deliver emotional intensity, with lyrics infused with themes of nature and spirituality. The climax features catchy cadences and commanding guitar riffs, blending technical prowess with melodic sensibility.

  The video was filmed against the awe-inspiring backdrop of the Appalachian Mountains in Blue Ridge, Georgia, and it is a cinematic journey that mirrors the song's profound musical and lyrical landscape. “The Mountain” is recommended for those who enjoy the grandeur of nature and progressive music, especially bands like Porcupine Tree, Polyphia, and Haken.

  Watch and listen to the music video for "The Mountain" via its premiere on TheProgSpace HERE.

  “Hush” was released on June 24, 2024, and is available at Spotify | Themourning.bandcamp.com | Themourningmusic.com/store/ (CD, Digital)

  (Album Artwork by Sam Shearon)

  Track Listing:​
  1. Chaos Machine – 4:57
  2. The Mountain – 5:37
  3. He Cries – 4:22
  4. I Feel The Rain – 5:05
  5. Hush – 5:04
  6. The Wind – 4:40
  7. My Own Way – 4:47
  8. Cries of the Mind – 5:34
  9. My Own Hell – 4:48
  10. Smooth Seas – 7:02
  Album Length - 52:56
  ​
  ​Album Recording Credits:​
  ● All songs performed by: The Mourning
  ● All songs written by: The Mourning
  ● Produced by: Alex Nasla (ASCAP Member) & David Alex
  ● Mixed by: Alex Nasla
  ● Mastered by: Alex Nasla
  ● Album Artwork by: Sam Shearon
  ​
  ​Album Band Line Up:​
  ● Johnny Ray – Vocals, Keyboards
  ● Alex Nasla – Keyboards (ASCAP Member)
  ● Loren Whitaker – Bass
  ● Jason Berlin – Drums
  ● Eliana Blanchard – Backing Vocals
  ● Brandon Delpino – Backing Vocals
  ● Francesco Pinter – Guitar
  ​
  ​Guest Musicians:​
  1. Charlie Robbins (Syncatto, Artificial Language)
  ○ Track: Chaos Machine
  ○ Contribution: Guitar Solo
  2. Trey Xavier (In Virtue)
  ○ Track: Smooth Seas
  ○ Contribution: Guitar Solo
  3. Jeff Pogan (Suicidal Tendencies, Oneironaut)
  ○ Track: Cries of the Mind
  ○ Contribution: Guitar Solo
  ​
  ​Live Band Line Up:​
  ● Johnny Ray – Lead Vocals
  ● Zai Alyenora – Lead Vocals
  ● Jason Berlin – Drums
  ● Alex Nasla (ASCAP Member) – Keyboards, Backing Vocals
  ● Francesco Pinter – Guitar

  For more info: Themourningmusic.com | Facebook.com/themourningmusic | Instagram.com/themourningmusic

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