Astral Sleep: Torment in Existence

Astral Sleep: “Torment in Existence“ from the 2023 album “We are already living in the end of times“. ”The sound of pounding metal Silent cries of torment Fading of the lies As the skies burn like fire Fading of the lines As the nights burst with thunder Fading of the lives As the seas burn in flames As we’re washed away We feel no shame The silence of ages escalates As we drift away I step ahead over the edge I hold my breath under water For a minute, until I drown The secret lies ahead The power of tombs Hidden is the key inside the cage Locked and far away Fading of the lines As the skies burn with fire Fading of the lights As the seas devour the flames Can you hear them You are not alone ahahaha Faces and voices Haunt me in my sleep, When I’m awake In the mirrors, and oceans My memories My misery My existence My torment My Pain Is this the end of pain, The end of me the End of you And of us altogether? This is the end My friend We are in this together“ This track introduces crushing and rocking mid-tempo heaviness, mixed with sorrowful melodies and subtle hints of experimentation and progressiveness. Referred to as so heavy it is almost physically painful! In the end, an acoustic outro offers some resolution. Years ago, Markus played guitar in the death metal band Church of the Dead. Markus: “Torment in Existence“ started out as an attempt to write a song for COTD, but I ended up having material that was rocking but not brutal, and melodically desolate but not shrieking, so it was not going to fit. Nevertheless, I liked the song and saved it, and during the research of potential materials for our 4th album, we found it, and decided it was a good fit to the album. The lyrics on this one were probably the most straightforward to write. Once I had a complete demo with all the parts completely arranged, I took the mic, pressed ”record” and started spitting random lyrics that would fit the song. Not much was done to the text after. Most of the lyrics is an one-take improvisation. ”Torment in Existence” is also our shortest song to date, clocking only about 6 minutes!“ We Are Already Living In The End Of Times witnesses the apocalypse as it manifests, and explores the thoughts and feelings that emerge in the face of the Doom. Why did this happen? What can we do about it? How should we feel about it? Should we care? Does it even matter? The album takes it path through powerful scenes of destruction, loss, and despair, but also of deliverance, self-realization, and existential enlightenment. With the previous album Astral Doom Musick (Saarni Records 2020), Astral Sleep established their accurate genre definition as the namesake of the said album. With the new, 4th full-length, the band continues to evolve within these musical terms, but this time with a direction towards more Doom and Gloom, less Astral and Magical. The new album’s gargantuan soundscape resonates the immensity of the apocalypse portrayed. Beneath the waves of crushing guitars, rumble the drums and the bass, like volcanoes that erupt under oceans, and above glide the ethereal lead guitars and synths, as the powerful vocals shatter the skies and tremble the earth. The cover art for the album was created by the renowned artist Mark Cooper, an insanely talented designer of tons of album-covers. This epic piece depicts an apocalyptic event where the last concert ever to happen on earth is about to take place, running on the last fumes of a broken-down factory. The first single from the album released on 17. Feb. 2023 in all streaming services. The full album becomes available for purchase on 21. Apr. 2023 in digital, CD, and vinyl formats. The second single is also released in streaming services on the same date. The remaining four songs from the album are each independently released in the streaming services on monthly basis, until the sixth song releases in August 2023.