Track By Tracks: Ars Onirica - I. Cold (2019)

Intro:

This is the junction with the “past”: the album starts with a radio transmitting old tunes from the 2004 demo leading to the “present”: the first “real” track of the album.

1. In Between:

This track is very long but simple and hypnotic; it starts with a regular 4/4 in the typical style of Katatonia’s Brave Murder Day era; then, we find and atmospheric break with clean guitars and keys and, after that, a black metal riff breaks in bringing to mind some Celtic Frost/Triptykon riffing; this part alternates with an atmospheric one where a tapping melody with guitar dominates, calling back some Paradise Lost solutions of the mid 90’s. Lyrics are about a suspended situation where you can feel lost in the middle (In between): you feel the dark of desperation and the light of hope at the same time.

2. La Nave:

It’s the most experimental track, with a lot of different situations inside. It starts with a prog riff in 9/4 and then, in the verse, we have the usual 4/4 with growlin’ vocals in Katatonia style; in the refrain you can hear clean vocals with a doomy guitar work close to some My Dying Bride tunes. Then, there is a long acoustic part with Italian recitato, where the acoustic solo can remind of some Opeth stuff with chromaticism and jazzy guitar solutions. The final part is a black metal riff with blast beat, which creates an atmosphere close to some post/black/showgaze bands, and a shred solo with tapping and sweep picking. Lyrics, written by my dear friend and singer in the 2004 demo Gianfranco Stassi, are some reflections about death, but opened to various interpretations. You will find the lyric video created by Adhiira art on Youtube, so you will be able to make your own idea.

3. In Gloom:

This one starts with a clean guitar with a strong delay; this melody is suddenly taken by distorted guitars that bring to the verse where you can hear a desperate voice over a slow rhythm guitar and fixed double pedal drum. In the middle you will find an acoustic breakdown again, but with a more folk flavor close to some older Ulver stuff, that explodes on a blacky part with evil minor chords and arpeggios. The last part reprises the beginning with a final acceleration. Lyrics talk about two people trying to face a common tragedy without being devoured by the void of the suffering they are feeling.

4. Cold… (Return To Nowhere):

It’s an instrumental track with a simple clean guitar with a delay. With this track I wanted to create a great sense of solitude and desolation; nothing but a sad clean guitar and the sound of wind to obtain that. These atmospheres are the same contained in the intro of the old demo of 2004 “Road To Nowhere”, that’s why I chose this title.

5. Dust:

It starts with a simple 4/4 in a Brave Murder Day style; the verse has growling vocals but in the refrain we have a melodic clean vocals with a modal harmony of keys and guitars that gives a “vast landscape” sensation to the listener (you can find the same solution on some Devin Townsend or Ihsahn stuff). Then, you will hear an unusual acoustic breakdown, where you will find Shining mixed up with some Steven Wilson vocal melodies... I’m very proud of this section. After the acoustic part a black one comes, starting with an evil guitar and blast beat and exploding on a strong inexorable mid tempo Celtic Frost style. The song ends recalling the opening verse and melodic refrain. The lyrics are my personal reflections about death, everything being erasable, nothing remaining, being nothing but... dust!

6. The Loss:

It’s the most doom track of the album; it starts with keys and e-bow that gave a lot of dusk atmosphere to the tune. The rhythm is always slow while the voice alternates screams and clean vocals close to some The Silent Enigma stuff; the core has a very strong funeral riffing that brings to the moderate acceleration (don’t worry is always doom) of the end. This is the most important track that I ever wrote: me and my girlfriend were expecting a child but we lost him, I wrote the lyrics looking at his last echography, looking at his hand searching for mine…