ILLYRIA - Release 'The Carpathian Summit: Instrumental Edition' and Drop Playthrough Video For "Swansong"

Perth's post-black metal quintet Illyria are today unleashing their instrumental rendition of 'The Carpathian Summit' and are accompanying the release with a second playthrough video for fan favourite, "Swansong"!

Based upon the passing of vocalist and guitarist Ilija Stajić's grandmother, the full version of "Swansong" tackles polarising lyrical themes in the way that it questions spirituality, ponders existence and life's purpose while also melodically works towards connecting the listener with the hurt of losing a loved one, but also celebrating their release of pain. Ilija explains that "Swansong is a sorrowful post black metal composition with an emphasis on virtuoso guitar and bass solos which transitions into an outro with grand and uplifting cadences".

As an instrumental piece, the track allows the listener to draw their own conclusions and place their own story against the music. Ilija reveals the thought process behind the instrumental rendition: "As the old saying goes, 'a picture is worth a thousand words', and we felt that this can also be translated in music. The instrumental versions intention was to allow our listeners to make up their own story rather than feel limited to my lyrics."

'The Carpathian Summit', recorded, mixed and mastered by Illyria bassist Daniel Hacking, made waves earlier in the year with the release of "Kenopsia" and "Wilderness" - which showcased Illyria's chaotic cacophony of crafted sounds. "Kenopsia" tapped into a post-black metal niche that appealed to a wide audience and in just a couple of days, "Kenopsia" received six 4+ star reviews from the triple j team on the band's Unearthed page, earned a spot on triple j Unearthed rotation and was played on triple j's Home & Hosed and triple j's The Racket. "Wilderness" followed suit and experimented with a post-punk vibe that was a refreshing hit within the black metal community. Shortly after release, "Wilderness" made its way on to two Spotify editorial playlists, ‘Black & Dark Metal’ and ‘New Metal Tracks’. 'The Carpathian Summit' was released in April this year and made its way to #6 on the Australian Independent Record Labels Association's album charts and was picked as one of Killyourstereo's Best Releases Of 2019 (So Far), as well as receiving rave reviews worldwide for this huge sophomore release.

Illyria is Ilija Stajić on vocals and guitar, George Blacklock and James Warren on guitar, Daniel Hacking on Bass and Matt Unkovich on drums. Inspired by fellow contemporaries Alcest, Deafheaven, Lantlôs and Les Discrets, Illyria's goal is to captivate on the gracious melodies and pulsating rhythms of their hybrid genre whilst promoting the accessibility of post-black metal to new listeners around the world. The band have already shared the stage with musical acts such as Polaris, Circles, Ne Obliviscaris, Plini, Alcest, Caligula’s Horse, Lindsay Schoolcraft and Make Them Suffer with the vision of expanding their horizons.

Illyria's instrumental version of 'The Carpathian Summit' is out now at https://smarturl.it/TCSinstrumental and on iTunes & Apple Music/Spotify/Google Play and all good online stores and streaming outlets.