An Abstract Illusion - The Silent City

An Abstract Illusion is a progressive extreme metal band from Sweden who formed in 2007.  Their latest release, “The Sleepy City,” is their third full-length album; they have also released an EP.

This is unquestionably one of the best albums of the year, regardless of genre.  It is progressive and adventurous without being convoluted or pretentious.   While its seven tracks add up to just over an hour of runtime, each song has several epic, wow moments and crafted so expertly that the hour will breeze. Before you know, you’ll find yourself smashing the play button again.

I like the flow of the album a lot.  The three longest songs are spread enough among the four shorter ones, so each song feels like it has its own time to shine, and listener fatigue doesn’t become an issue. 

The production is amazing too, almost as important as the songs themselves.  It’s very clear and clean but when it comes to prog like this, that is exactly the kind of the world the songs need to expand and reveal themselves.

What impresses me most is that even though there are beautiful moments that wash over like a gentle light, there are more than enough that are like sandpaper against the skin.  The band doesn’t compromise heaviness for the sake of atmosphere, but their often-extreme sound also doesn't overtake any of the more imaginative passages.  They live, and thrive, in both worlds at once.

The album opens with the eleven-minute banger, “Blackmurmur,” and this song gives a good indication of what the rest of the album will bring. The synths open up a flower growing to its full potential while the heavy distortion underneath acts like the foundation from which they grow.  The music is a wall of sound before the blackened death vocals rip through, bolstered by music that goes from clean to heavy.  The clean vocals are on point, and the first time they appear it is in a cacophony of melodic bass and crashing cymbals—a lovely passage that moves the song smoothie into the rising action of subtle keys.  The rest of the song is alien and spacey to a degree before leaning hard on their death metal elements again.

“Like a Geyser Ever Erupting," begins like its namesake: quick, brimming with growing violence.  As this burst of aggression fades away, clean vocals make their way through before the song settles back to heavier waters.  This song is a prime example of just how well the band transitions moods and styles, while still staying focused.  As the song races towards the middle, with massive guitars and drums, the tension is so tight that it feels like it might break.  The middle passage is very emotive, what with the cleans and lead guitar.  What follows is an atmo/ambient piece that speaks just as loudly. 

The final two songs, “Silverfields,” and the title track are really good companion pieces.  The former is a shorter instrumental but it’s so goddamn atmospheric with a lot of little details that make it feel alive and just as essential as the other songs despite offering less content, at least in terms of length.

As it fades out, the title track fades in for a few precious seconds before offering up sweet riffs and mid-tempo aggressive approach.  The beginning feels sort of topsy-turvy, as if this world is shaking on its foundations.  The rest of the song uses heavy and light elements in clever ways, never afraid to pair up clean guitar with keys or a heavy riff with a soundscape that might be from another dimension. The bass and drums really hit their stride here, always keeping the song solid even when its fluid prose cascades like water. Both vocal styles are used to full effect, a convincing narrator to the story.  

All in all, An Abstract Illusion’s “The Sleepy City,” is an album that is absolutely worth the investment of your money and time.  I challenge fans of prog metal to find a better album than this in 2025 because I just don’t think it exists.  This is a must have listen for any metalhead.

Rating: Masterful