We’ve joined forces with Season Of Mist to give you an advance listen to a brand new track entitled ‘Elpis’ from Australia’s Vipassi. Taken from their forthcoming album Sunyata. The band is mainly made up of members of the better known Ne Obliviscaris.
Some people (particularly those Down Under) might have encountered the track before as the band did have the album up on their site, although it didn’t stray beyond a small circle of listeners. That’s all about to change with its international release via Season Of Mist.
Instrumental music traditionally has a hard time in metal; all too often, virtuoso musicians have used their talent mainly to stroke already massive egos. Yet bands like Animals As Leaders have demonstrated that ambitious skills and passionate songwriting can be fused into something greater, which appeals far beyond the grudging respect of colleagues.
With Sunyata, Vipassi offer a rare album that combines ecstatic technical virtuosity with a love of creating atmospheric soundscapes, sparkling melodies, and captivating passages. Formed in 2009 by guitarist Ben Boyle and members of Australian shooting stars Ne Obliviscaris, they soon settled on an instrumental style, the thought being that it would allow for a level of openness that would allow any listener to interpret and connect with the material subjectively. Their project represents a desire to explore beauty and darkness in all its shades, through melodic and complex compositions that are bemused in themes of the struggles of the human experience, exploring nature, spirituality and science.
The roots of their sound reach back into a time when bands such as Atheist and Cynic began to reform extreme music by infusing jazz and progressive elements into death metal. Vipassi hope to add a new chapter to the story with the instrumental highlight Sunyata.
Sunyata tracklist
1. Gaia
2. Benzaiten
3. Jove
4. Sum
5. Elpis
6. Paradise
7. Samsara
Vipassi lineup
Ben Boyle: guitars
Dan Presland: drums
Brendan Brown: bass
Benjamin Baret: lead guitar
Sunyata is released on January 20th, but you can pre-order your copy now at this location.
