ABSTRACTED have released a music video for “Sirens,” bringing a personal account of grief to a song from their latest album, Hiraeth. The Brazilian progressive metal six-piece pair technical passages with melody and atmosphere, while the lyrics draw on drummer Fernando Pollon’s experience of losing his brother.
“The song explores the universal feeling of grief and the process of loss, allowing each listener to find their own meaning in it,” the band explain in their announcement through Secret Service Publicity. “The lyrics were written by our drummer, Fernando, capturing his deeply personal emotions after losing his brother some years ago in a tragic accident on a highway.”
The video places the performance inside the ruins of the historic Casa da Frontaria Azulejada in Santos, on the coast of São Paulo. According to ABSTRACTED, the building’s deteriorated interior also shaped the filming conditions.
“Because the interior is heavily degraded, we had to perform with extreme care, as loud frequencies could literally cause parts of the structure to collapse,” the band say. “This fragile and intense atmosphere perfectly translates the weight of the song onto the screen.”
Hiraeth was produced by Diego Castro, whose credits include Kryour and Skid Life, with cover artwork by Roberto Emerita. The album is available digitally and on jewelcase CD. The announcement lists shipping from the United States, Europe or Brazil according to the customer’s location.
Before the album’s release, ABSTRACTED introduced “Languish,” featuring a guest contribution from ENTHEOS vocalist Chaney Crabb, and “Axis” as digital singles with videos. The new “Sirens” clip follows those releases and the band’s recent performance supporting Between the Buried and Me in Brazil.
The four years since Atma Conflux have brought changes to the lineup. Vocalist Rosano Pedro Matiussi, bassist Riverton Vilela Alves and keyboardist Carol Lynn remain the core trio, joined by guitarists Leonardo Brito and José Consani and drummer Fernando Pollon.
The announcement identifies Opeth, Vildhjarta and Between the Buried and Me among ABSTRACTED’s influences, describing an approach that moves between aggressive metal, melodic progressive passages, cinematic elements and jazz fusion. Hiraeth brings that range into the band’s latest material after eleven years of experience.
Among the review excerpts supplied with the announcement, Metal Temple awarded the album 9/10, praising “the songwriting” as “beautiful and well-balanced, with unsuspecting turns and breaks making it an album where you discover something new with every listen.” Infernal Masquerade highlighted its vocal arrangements and intricate bass lines, recommending it to fans of Obscura and Persefone.