Illusions Play break their decade-long silence with Empire of Desolation, a powerful album that showcases their signature blend of atmospheric doom and melodic death metal. The eight track material will come out on December 13th, via IP Records. However, prior to the album release, the band dropped the singles Under Shining Moon and Morning Dew.
Thus, after ten years of silence, Illusions Play return with an album shaped by a decade of evolution and experience. The band’s hallmark atmospheric doom-death sound emerges with a renewed intensity, blending heavy, commanding riffs with haunting melodies that strike a balance between despair and aggression. The album reflects the band’s growth over the years… Indeed, with each song showcasing their ability to craft music that is both powerful and deeply evocative. The record’s darker tone will resonate with long-time fans while offering an entry point for newcomers to experience the band’s carefully layered approach to doom and melodic death metal. Empire of Desolation represents not just a return but a redefinition of the band’s sound.
About the band
Emerging in 2011 from the historic depths of Istanbul, Illusions Play quickly established themselves as a force in atmospheric doom/death metal. Their sound is built on contrasts—glacial riffs collide with dark, deliberate rhythms, guttural growls intertwine with soaring clean vocals. The band transforms despair into beauty, creating melodies that evoke solitude and introspection, yet pulse with an undeniable vitality. Their compositions capture a sense of longing and resolve, balancing shadow and light in ways that resonate deeply with listeners.
From their beginnings to their triumphant return with Empire of Desolation, they’ve continued to create a soundtrack for the human experience—melancholic, dynamic, and profoundly moving.
Tracklist:
1. Morning Dew
2. The Passage
3. Empire Of Desolation
4. Last Hours
5. Under Shining Moon
6. Unformed Existence
7. The Spaceless
8. Under Shining Moon (Radio Edit)
Lineup:
Vitaliy Petrenko: Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards
Sezer Soylemezoglu: Guitars, Backing Vocals
H. Arda Burhan: Drums
