Formed in 2019, French progressive metal band Altesia have built a loyal following with the acclaimed albums ‘Paragon Circus’ (2019) and ‘Embryo’ (2021). Now, the band presents its most ambitious work to date with the exciting, immersive, and visceral third album, ‘The Somnambulist,’ out June 13, 2025.
The band has long embraced the idea of playing music without labels or boundaries, but ‘The Somnambulist’ is undoubtedly the album that best embodies this vision.
“This album is undoubtedly our most accomplished, collective, and diverse work to date. Every note, every interpretation, every silence, has been thought out and discussed. It marks a turning point in our history as it allowed us to rethink the way we composed music until now, and it lays the groundwork for years to come,” says Clément Darrieu (vocals – guitar).
The band are pleased to share the stunning first single “Her Ghost in Limbo”.
You can watch the video, directed by Yann Evrard, here:
While the musical atmosphere of a song usually influences its lyrics, the band pushed itself to innovate in its compositional approach. “We gathered to write the concept of the album in a sequenced manner, each song acting as a chapter in the story and embodying an emotion, a mindset of the character at that particular moment. For the first time, it was the theme of each song that influenced the music, and this new approach turned out to be thrilling.” adds Clément Darrieu.
“All five of us listen to a lot of different genres, and it’s natural for us to incorporate our various influences into our music. The prog side allows us to bridge all these universes, even if some are completely different. For example, on ‘The Somnambulist Pt.2’, you’ll find black metal transitioning into bluegrass, Latin sounds, and many other things. We have a blast playing this music without imposing any limits on ourselves to push our creative boundaries.” concludes Darrieu.
Pre-orders will begin mid-April.
Track List
1. ‘The Somnambulist Pt.1’
2. ‘Her Ghost In Limbo’
3. ‘Anomaly Of One’
4. ‘Sepia Cathedral’
5. ‘Visceral’
6. ‘Of Guilt And Blood’
7. ‘The Somnambulist Pt.2’
8. ‘Post-Mortem’
Solstice line-up
Yann MENAGE – Drums, backing vocals, growls, classical & rhythm guitar, djembe
Clément DARRIEU – Lead vocals, rhythm & acoustic guitar, clouclou
Alexis ‘Idler’ CASANOVA – Lead & rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Henri BORDILLON – Keyboards, sound design
Hugo BERNART – Bass
