Track By Tracks: Exessus - Asynapse (2022)

Album concept:

Iván: We have matured with time, and we wanted that to be reflected in the music as well as in the lyrics. This album leaves behind this highly social component that ‘Time in Coma’ had and moves towards a more intrinsic exploration of human nature. In this album you will listen to songs dealing with psychological and emotional issues, bringing an intense listening experience. ‘Asynapse’, as its name implies, explores this disconnection we are suffering from our deepest nature, from ourselves and from each other.

1. Bloodshed:

Iván: Straight-up Exessus track to start the album. It is the perfect transition from what we did in ‘Time in Coma’ and what we are doing in ‘Asynapse’, since it has the vibes of both records in it.

The music presents the Exessus signature song style. Aggressive verses, melodic while solid choruses, an aggressive solo and a more melodic solo inside a section that allows the song to breathe a little bit and recover strength to hit with a final chorus.

The lyrics have a bit of that ‘Time in Coma’ social feeling, although from a much more mature perspective. The song basically talks about the way people have been controlled like pawns throughout history, and even now we still are. It also shows how difficult it is to get out of the circle, illustrating how easy it is to be replaced if you rebel.

2. Oblivion:

Iván: Pure ‘Asynapse’ vibe and straight-up Metal track. Here the new elements in our matured composing process become more obvious.

This track may hold different meanings to the listener, and I think that’s magic I don’t want to completely spoil. Without breaking it down too much, it is related to something or someone that you cannot reach. In a way, that’s what artists sometimes face trying to reach ‘Numen’, a Latin-origin term related to inspiration or beings with magical powers.

3. No King:

Iván: Probably one of the heaviest tracks in the album.

The music is defined by some of the most killer riffs in the album composed by Ferran, which portray the song with a really aggressive rhythmic feeling since there are lots of complementary time signature changes. I love the way he challenges me to sing at the same time I have to play really fast and complex riffs that change the time signature. A joy to practice (joke). Jokes aside, I’m really grateful for it, since it pushes me into new levels of technical complexity.

The lyrics themselves have a little bit of ‘Time in Coma’ vibes with a rebellious tone, but this time we have given it a twist by relating it to a very interesting science fiction story to be seen in our lyric video for the song, where we will introduce for the first time a very important character in the history of Exessus.

4. Paths:

Iván: Paths is one of those songs I feel really attached to. I really like to write songs that express a lot of deep feelings and emotions, where I can talk about important things in life, and it is not easy to do so while maintaining a strong solid sound. It’s really easy to fall into writing a ballad when dealing with such emotions, which is not bad, but I really like to have those feelings expressed in this solid strong song format.

The music shows this melodic yet strong solid sound the band has developed through the years. Also, this song is in drop C tuning, which is something new for the band since all our songs in ‘Time in Coma’ are in drop D tuning. Moreover, this song has Gerard singing its verses, which I think it gives a really nice weigh to the verses with his clear low tone. It’s a pleasure having him as one of the singers in the band, and I love it when he moves from his prototypical role of backing vocals towards a position where he stands out like singing verses.

The lyrics of this song, yet easy to understand, hold a complex and intricate meaning. The song talks about decision-making in life and how your past defines you or not. Your past is the path that brought you where you are today and it shouldn’t be seen as something to avoid but as something to accept. Ultimately, future paths you will take will bring you to new horizons. This kind of sums it up.

5. Strength:

Iván: A really heavy sound pretty new to ‘Asynapse’.

The music is strong, low, and heavy. The song combines slow-paced sections with fast-paced sections together with time signature changes.

The song talks about being strong in life, no matter how difficult it gets.

6. Inner Parasite:

Iván: Fast-paced Metal song. If you like fast and you like Metal, you like Inner Parasite.

The song follows the Exessus signature style, but there is an interesting feature that we didn’t really carry out in ‘Time in Coma’, which is a harmonized solo. It sounds pretty cool.

Ferran: The song talks about psychological issues and portrays how your own mind can play tricks on you. It is important to avoid losing control of yourself so you don’t become the master of your own destruction. You have to be stronger than your own mental limitations and fears, which are already really visceral in you. You have to get over it so it doesn’t control your life.

7. Singular:

Iván: An Exessus signature style song but in drop C tuning.

The music has a powerful epic display to help strengthen the message of the song. I really like that we decided to end the song with one of those sections that used to be so popular in the past where you deliver your chorus 2 or 3 times and you change it 1’5 tones up each time. It sounds really powerful on a more modern song like this one.

The lyrics deal with victory, epicness, thriving, and successful fighting. Surrendering is not an option and you always have to deliver the best version of yourself possible. Nothing can bring you down.

8. Voyager:

Iván: This is a very important song for me, and one of the weirdest as well, of course, in a good sense. Definitely one of those songs you have to listen to if you like music where you embark on a journey.

The first half of the song resembles a kind of bluesy vibe with a clean singing style never seen before in any Exessus song. The second half of the song resembles a Metal song with an epic long section.

The lyrics of the song hold a very deep and special meaning to me related to memories of the past, the complexity of love, and the role of death in life. In general, the song talks about something that was but is no more. Something that lives in your mind and that you can feel close to but you cannot touch.

9. Leaving:

Iván: Ferran composed this beautiful piece of instrumental music and we thought it would be a very nice addition to the album, especially since it works perfectly to let such a long album breathe a bit.

Ferran: The piece implies lovelorn, a romantic breakup. The end of a stage, the beginning of another.

10. Old Chains:

Iván: This song is kind of a new thing for Exessus, but it has the band essence as well.

The music is kind of a mixture between a ballad and a heavy song. My singing style in the verses is something that I don’t usually do, which is singing half-clean half-aggressive, and I think it turned out well in the end. Gerard has some really beautiful vocal lines in this song as well.

The song is about staying true to who you are, no matter what other people may say or think. In the end, you have to accept and learn to love who you are or you’ll never achieve true happiness.

11. Notes of the Soul Pt. 2:

Iván: So here it is again, the big one. The song you start listening to when you drive your car and still haven’t finished when you reach your destination.

Musically speaking, it’s a journey you just have to experience. It has some interesting connections to part 1 from ‘Time in Coma’ that I think lots of people will recognize. I’m very proud of the choruses I recorded for this song. I think those choruses are some of the best in the whole album, which is weird considering this is a 12 minutes song, so definitely not a single by today’s standards.

The lyrics are the continuation of part 1, bringing a new chapter on this long personal story. Even though it is a very personal story, I think lots of people will see themselves reflected in the lyrics of this song.

12. Welcome to the Hole:

Iván: I would have never, ever, imagined that I would write a song like this one. Really, ever. I tend to be very serious about music, always trying to express the most intense and serious feelings. Well, here we are with a comedy-like song.

The music is a straight-up Thrash Metal song. It has a really groovy break. In general, I guess the song is really groovy. It’s just non-stop until it reaches a magical special part where you will hear something completely new in Exessus. I’m not going to spoil it, just go listen to it. This song, therefore, serves as the last song of the album in concept, which seemed like a really nice and unexpected way to finish the album. It also seemed a good idea to end with a less serious song to release a bit of the tension created throughout the entire album, which is long and really deep.

The lyrics deal with everyday problems we all face, be it at work, studying, with friends, etc. In the end, you just have to go party or do whatever you have to do to release all the stress and tension these daily problems generate inside of you.

13. Paths (Extended Version):

Iván: I am really happy to have included this song, but I make sure I never listen to it so I don’t get confused with the standard version that we play live. The comment resembles humor but it’s true, I do try to avoid listening to it.

Musically, it adds some parts that were in the first version of the song before recording which gives a more lengthy feeling and turns the song into a less direct single.

There are some extra lyrics in this version that give a little more depth to the message of the song. In fact, I’m really proud of those vocal sections, but at the same time, I’m happy they are kind of hidden in this extended version for those who want a longer experience.