A pre-release premiere with Black Metal Promotion introduces Elysia, the forthcoming album from Stockholm melodic black/death metal band HYPERION. The full-album stream precedes the record’s November 6 release through Willowtip on CD, 2xLP and digital formats.
The announcement places the new material alongside a statement from HYPERION about its relationship to their debut, Seraphical Euphony. The band describe Elysia as different from that record while retaining the elements central to their music.
“Elysia is an explosion of intensity in all kinds of directions. To call it an ambitious album would be an understatement,” the band state. “It is different from Seraphical Euphony, but still contains the vital elements that make us what we are. To make this album a reality has been a titanic effort and we are beyond excited to finally have it released to the world.”
The supplied album background describes more complex compositions built around complementary guitar and symphonic arrangements. That direction extends the band’s early interest in harmony-rich Swedish melodic death metal and their later incorporation of Swedish and Norwegian black metal elements.
Elysia was recorded between 2020 and 2023 at Wing Studios, Studio Forlorn Halls and various private locations. Sverker Widgren mixed and mastered the album at Wing Studios between 2023 and 2024.
The instrumental credits list Erik Molnar on guitars, synthesizer programming and spoken word; Joel Hagroth on guitars and spoken word; Mikael Malm on guitars; Raul Vicente on bass; and Mauritz Flodin on drums and orchestrations. Harry Lauraéus is credited with vocals and minor lyrical adjustments.
Guest vocal appearances include Johan Nephente on “Nefarious Sacrament of the Immorals,” Elias Lyxell on “Fides Novem,” Atterigner on “Iliou Persis” and Karin Eriksson on “Paraphrosynia.” The “Iliou Persis” battle choir comprises Erik Molnar, Joel Hagroth, Mikael Malm, Mortuz Denatus, Johan Camling and Henrik Edman.
HYPERION, Mortuz Denatus and Sverker Widgren handled drum post-production. The sound effects and ambience credits cite clips from freesound.org, Looperman and Nexus 4.
- Rapturous Overture
- Nefarious Sacrament of the Immorals
- Fides Novem
- Iliou Persis
- Paraphrosynia
- Perennial Transcendence
- Vigil of Longing
- Epic of Tribulation
- Epoch’s Eventide
- The Primordial Wellspring
Khaos Diktator created the main album artwork and the artwork for “Iliou Persis.” Jacob Fredén supplied the “Fides Novem” artwork, while Joan Llopis Doménech created the artwork for “Paraphrosynia.” Marcos Cerutti designed the booklet. Joel Hagroth contributed its ruin photographs and the shield and spear sigil for “Iliou Persis.” Band photography is credited to Varghamne.
HYPERION formed in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2007, with Erik Molnar the sole remaining member of the original lineup. Mikael Malm, former guitarist Efe Guner, Harry Lauraéus and Raul Vicente joined as the band developed its combination of melodic death and black metal.
A demo followed in 2010, alongside several years of Stockholm shows. During the lengthy writing and recording process for Seraphical Euphony, Efe Guner departed and Joel Hagroth took his place. Black Lion Records released the debut in February 2016, combining new material with re-recordings of songs from the demo Blood of the Ancients.
The band subsequently toured through much of Central Europe and Germany. Their live background also includes House of Metal and support appearances for Batushka in Riga and Tallinn.
Advance review excerpts supplied with the announcement emphasize the new album’s melodic and symphonic writing. Invisible Oranges described “Melodies upon melodies, progressive song structures, sticky riffs, bombastic synths,” while Toilet ov Hell called it a “Confident blend of melodic black and death metal, now with greatly fleshed-out composition.”
