There always has to be that one extreme metal album that defines the musical year. In 2024, it was Blood Incantation’s Absolute Elsewhere. This year, it’s An Abstract Illusion’s new record The Sleeping City, an enthralling journey through texture and contrast. It releases on October 17th.
An Abstract Illusion hails from Sweden. I first heard them through 2022’s Woe, which I didn’t end up having time to review, I believe. Anyways, the maturation and heightening of their melodic sensibilities are starkly apparent on this new album. The current lineup includes Christian Berglönn on lead vocals, Robert Stenvall on keys and vocals, Karl Westerlund on guitars and bass, and Isak Nilsson on drums and vocals. You will also hear Lukas Backeström on vocals and choir, Jonathan Miranda-Figueroa on cello, Dawn Ye on violin, Flavia Fontana on violin, and Elsa Svensson on spoken word.
The band plays a blend of progressive, black, and death metal, but before you run for the hills, understand that this is some of the most melodic, layered, and self-edited black metal you’ve ever heard. The colorful, powerful keyboards from Robert slice through the density and murkiness to create stunning contrasts that are deeply satisfying. With a good balance between clean and harsh vox and well-placed stringed melodies, the band has created terrific song structures that feel like starlit journeys into the deep places of the world.
I can’t over-emphasize the sheer weight of the textures and excellent mix. There is so much going on here, so many tidbits to absorb, and the mix really delivers in those moments. When a celestial melody hits a wall of blast beats or violin battles guitars, you can hear everything with crystal clear precision. That said, this is definitely a headphones album.
The Sleeping City has seven songs, but I’ll admit that the second half of the album is my favorite. In the first half, we get the opener “Blackmurmur”, an astounding 11-minute piece with darkness equally balanced with delicious synth; I love the electronic interlude and keyboard solos, and the hovering clean vox really sells the gathering clouds around it. “No Dreams Beyond Empty Horizons” comes next, being one of the catchier and more accessible tunes. I love the chorus and chugging riffs. The first half ends with “Like a Geyser Ever Erupting”, one of the heavier, more relentless tracks, though its sinister keys act like a precious touchstone.
From here, the album opens up a bit. We get my absolute favorite, “Frost Flower”, a shining beacon on the hill of the middle. This song is full of strings and keyboard melodies and atmosphere, and the metallic elements end up being the accents, rather than the foundation. I love the hovering purple ambience, the icy beauty of it all. It has moments of epic chaos, but acoustic guitars and glorious melodies reign.
The album doesn’t let up from there. The single “Emmett” comes next, and is a tale of two styles, mostly. In its 11-minute runtime, the first part is heavy and driving, and the second part is more reserved and spacious, though the chaos does return at the end. Next is “Silverfields”, a shorter track that is electronic and misty; I love the floating spoken word and the cinematic rock portion. That song is something of an introduction to the titular closing track. “The Sleeping City” is a raging, commanding display of contrasts. It’s keyboard melodies are ever-present, winding, lifegiving, and it’s heavier elements perfectly mesh. I love the piano, the reeling guitar solos, and the climactic riffs that lead to the delicate ending.
An Abstract Illusion has something special here. The Sleeping City is a technical marvel, but it doesn’t lose itself in the complexity. This album is every bit as human and emotional and beautiful as it is heavy and complicated. The delicate and exquisite melodies are weighty in their simplicity, calculating in their timing, and so the album really delivers in a way that few other black metal albums can. I hope you’ll give it a try, even if this isn’t your chosen genre.
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The PROG Mind 
Thank you for another amazing review! You know that feeling when you start listening to something and instantly realize it’s exactly your kind of sound—even if you’ve only heard a few snippets? Well, that’s what happened with these guys. I preordered the vinyl right away.
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