EPK – SPHERES – Spiritual Journey (single) (2022)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
For fans of Mastodon, Opeth, Meshuggah, Devin Townsend, Tool
Single Title: Spiritual Journey
Release Date: June 10, 2022
Label: M&O Music
Distribution: Season of Mist
Spheresmusic.com | Youtube.com/c/SPHERESOFFICIAL | Instagram.com/spheres.official | Facebook.com/bandspheres | Soundcloud.com/spheres-music
Spheresprogmetal.bandcamp.com | https://bfan.link/spiritual-journey
“Ce IONO est une très belle surprise qui m’a pris en contre-pied de ce que j’écoute habituellement mais avec beaucoup de réussite puisque j’ai adoré. Complexe au niveau de la composition, plein de virtuosité au niveau de la réalisation et doté d’une véritable substance il n’y a rien à redire et les fans de metal prog devraient s’en donner plus qu’à cœur joie avec cet album !” – Emaginarock.fr
“Ma comparaison pour aider le lecteur un peu perdu et/ou dérouté sera notre brave DEVIN TOWNSEND ou OPETH qui peuvent alterner d’un titre à l’autre ou même à l’intérieur du même titre autant de différences que SPHERES.” – Profilprog.com
“Le digipak est joliment illustré par Julien Grelet, ce qui fera bien sûr plaisir à tout matérialiste encore en vie.” – Nawakulture.fr
“Le gros point positif de cet album est certainement l’orchestration allant de longs et excellents solos de guitare à une rythmique entraînante. Et une chose est sure, Spheres frappe plutôt fort avec son premier album et on a hâte de découvrir ce qu’ils seront capables de nous fournir par la suite.” – Lagrosseradio.com
Paris’ SPHERES will be offering up their next canvas of progressive metal in the form of their second full-length “Helios” via M&O Music (distribution Season of Mist) on September 23rd. The album follows their highly praised 2019 debut “Ionos”, which the band supported across Belgium, the Netherlands, and their home country of France including a performance at Hellfest.
“Helios” sees a fresh new lineup with founding member and album producer Jonathan Lino (Vocals, Guitars) joined by Olivier Moreau (Backing Vocals, Guitars), Clémence Santé (Bass), Jesse Haddad (Drums), and Marco Walczak (Keyboards) (studio only). The recording quintet is now inviting fans on a new spiritual journey into a dystopian world for the band’s sophomore record.
“Jonathan had written an entire album’s worth of songs and wanted to form a new line-up for both studio recordings and live shows. It’s fairly different from the first album in terms of dynamics as it has much more contrast between and within songs (it even has one track that I wrote, whereas all the previous songs were written by Jonathan L.). There are a plethora of contrasts and textures that inhabit this record: From sharp riffs to ethereal melodies, from clean singing to growls and screams, the atmosphere oscillates between dream and frenzy… Everything is designed to push the listener’s boundaries and invite them to take part in this journey. We hope that fans will notice that.” says Olivier Moreau (Guitar).
Today in preview of “Helios”, the band is sharing its first single “Spiritual Journey” in the form of a music video. It has a really drawn-out and intricate bridge section that the band compliments with fractals and other psychedelic landscapes.
“We’re glad to release Spiritual Journey as the first single from HELIOS. This is by far the most personal song on the record, as well as one of the most memorable. It shows the new direction SPHERES is heading in while keeping some of the secrets intact for people to discover upon the record’s release. It represents a lot of the frustration and sadness we all felt during the last two years while providing a sort of escape from reality, as the title suggests. We put this song out there hoping it resonates with people who have felt the same way, maybe providing a well-deserved dose of psychedelic escape along the way.” adds Jonathan Lino (Vocals, Guitars).
Recommended for fans of Opeth, Tool, Mastodon, Gojira, and Devin Townsend, SPHERES’ forthcoming album “Helios” is available for pre-order (CD, Vinyl, Digital) at the following links: https://linkr.bio/spheresband
Show Dates:
09/09/2022 – Caen, France – El Camino
10/09/2022 – Le Havre, France – Le Mc Daids
23/09/2022 – Paris, France – Le Docteur Feelgood (Release Party)
01/10/2022 – Liège, France) La Zone
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BAND STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS:
1. The album names are space puns (Ionosphere, Heliosphere)
2. Jonathan records everything in his home studio in Montreuil, France
3. We toured the east of France for a few days in late 2021. As per usual, weird things happened and we ended up watching Dora the Explorer at 2AM after the first show.
4. There is a lot of research that goes into the lyrics in order to stay relevant and not fall into the trap of over-the-top sci-fi. There is something about a reasonable nightmare that makes it even scarier.
5. We all have pretty wide musical backgrounds, so the odd time signatures and tempo changes aren’t new to us. However, Clémence and I both had to re-learn backing vocals because we weren’t used to singing as well as playing in crazy timings.
Single Title: Spiritual Journey
Release Date: June 10, 2022
Label: M&O Music
Distribution: Season of Mist
Album / Single Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Jonathan Lino, Clémence Santé, Olivier Moreau, Jesse Haddad, Marco Walczak
• All songs written by: Jonathan Lino
• Produced by: Jonathan Lino
• Mixed by: Jonathan Lino
• Mastered by: Brett Caldas-Lima (Tower Studio)
• Album Artwork by: Julien Grellet
Album Band Line Up:
Jonathan Lino – Vocals, Guitars
Olivier Moreau – Backing vocals, Guitars
Clémence Santé – Bass
Jesse Haddad – Drums
Marco Walczak – Keyboards
Live Band Line Up:
Jonathan Lino – Vocals, Guitars
Olivier Moreau – Backing vocals, Guitars
Clémence Santé – Bass
Jesse Haddad – Drums
Discography:
2022 – Helios (LP)
2019 – IONO (LP)
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The album as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
Although HELIOS feels like a futuristic journey, it deals with concepts that are very much here today. From totalitarian dystopias to artificial intelligence and pandemics, this is what the next decades have in store for us. It’s the contrast of an almost spatial prog opera and grounded lyrics that define HELIOS. With heavier, more intricate songs, soaring leads and thick layers of vocals, this album falls into progressive metal in the most literal sense.
Track by track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY)
ALGORITHMIC SENTIENCE :
Humanity is dying, as human consciousness is stored digitally within expensive replicant bodies reserved for the upper classes. A short and intense song with constant tapping and a ripping opening solo.
SPIRITUAL JOURNEY :
An escape from reality towards an artificial connected paradise. A spiritual journey in search of a new digital world, a matrix of sorts.
A mid-tempo song with intricate rhythm changes and prominent melodies.
PANDEMIA :
The pandemic is only a background to what we call “collapsology”. The collapse of global infrastructures and industrial civilization, is seen as inevitable in the not-so-distant future.
The longest song on the record, as well as the most diverse, from ballads to 9/8 chugging with a touch of Iron Maiden-style, leads.
HELIOS :
An instrumental waltz with the cosmic forces of the solar system.
S.C.S :
The world has adopted China’s Social Credit System, locking people up if they run out of said credit. Obedience to the party is mandatory, and the use of “happy pills” is widespread.
A violent, almost razor-sharp bundle of riffs with a soft ending.
RUNNING MAN :
Directly inspired by Stephen King’s book, this one takes place in 2121 after climate disasters, the destruction of global economies, and the advent of a totalitarian dystopia.
A long, cinematic song with a narrated introduction and somewhat humoristic undertones.
TAKE ME HIGHER, AILLEURS :
The mental decline of a character who does not fit in with his peers. The kind of person the Social Credit System would lock up.
The most dreamy song with an abundance of 5/8 and a long solo in the middle.
DO YOU AGREE :
The illusion of choice of today’s digital contracts, unknowingly getting into mass surveillance programs. This title is really about passively producing value and giving it away to super corporations who sell it back to us.
A straightforward song with a djenty intro, dissonant verses, and soaring choruses.
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