Dear readers, it is with great pleasure that we offer you in this article an interview with a Swedish band offering Progressive Metal sounds, with their debut album released in February 2025. We welcome Pale Epiphany.
Hi, i’sis a pleasure to have you among our pages, how are you?
“Likewise. Iām doing great, thank you!“
The band recently formed with a stellar line-up, how did the project and the choice of the name Pale Epiphany come about?
“Yeah, well the line-up was finalized after Erik Arkƶ, our previous bass player, left. Erik was the original bass player when the band formed in 2015. We wrote this album around that time and even played a few shows in Sweden. But our main bands were demanding too much time, and I was also planning to move to Japan, so the project was shelved. When we restarted the band around 2022, it became clear that Erik didnāt have the time anymore. I spoke with my good friend Linus Abrahamson, who kindly offered to record the bass for the album. He enjoyed it so much that he eventually joined as a full member. I can barely remember how the band name came to be, but I think Erik came up with at least part of it. The name reflects the lyrical themes of the album quite well.“
You offer a mixture of Progressive Metal and Progressive/Alternative Rock, how was your passion for these sounds born?
“My passion for prog metal and prog rock ignited when I was around 16-17 years old. I was introduced to Dream Theater, which opened the door to a world of incredible music. That led me to discover Symphony X, Opeth, Porcupine Tree, Pain of Salvation, Andromeda, and many others. Thereās something about progressive music, and complex music in general, that allows you to express emotions and aspects of the human experience that I find difficult to capture in some other genres where there are often ālimitationsā on what you should do.“
What are your sources of inspiration in this regard?
“As I mentioned before, I draw inspiration from many progressive bands. Outside of Pale Epiphany, I also play in Seventh Dimension. Seventh Dimension leans more toward the grand, epic feel of Dream Theater, with some power metal influences like Symphony X. For Pale Epiphany, Iād say the inspirations are mostly drawn from bands like Porcupine Tree and Pain of Salvation.“
Your eponymous debut album was released on February 25, 2025 via Corrupted Records, how would you describe this work?
“With Pale Epiphany, we aimed for something more direct and streamlined, keeping the prog elements understated. You wonāt find a ton of time signature changes or overly long songs, and the structures are fairly straightforward. We really focused on impactful songwriting, aiming to deliver a punch without getting too lost in technicality.“
An interweaving of intense instrumental and vocal parts, what themes do the album’s lyrics deal with?
“The lyrics delve into emotions like anger and frustration, touching on themes of betrayal and disillusionment with society and the dark side of the human condition. I often use irony in the lyrics, sometimes even adopting the persona of someone I’m criticizing, singing in a self-deprecating way. Other themes include the toxicity of labeling people, destructive relationships, fighting against your own narrow-mindedness, and general unfairness.“
I read in the press release that you worked about ten years on this debut, how did the creative process of the music take place?
“Back then, I was around 24 years old and constantly writing music. Fortunately, even though the music is almost ten years old, I still stand behind it, which is sometimes rare when revisiting old material. The music came about naturally. I’ve always listened to a wide variety of genres, and I wanted a project where I could explore ideas that wouldn’t fit with Seventh Dimension. Pale Epiphany became an outlet for those more aggressive, simpler, and “dirtier” ideas that had been brewing for years.“
I was very impressed by your sound and sound impact, what equipment did you use to make the album?
“I’m really happy to hear that! Especially since the album was produced in a very simple and cost-effective way. It’s also the first time I’ve released an album that I’ve produced and mixed entirely on my own ā it’s a complete home production. Guitars were recorded through my old Axe FX II, vocals in my living room, drums on an electric kit later resampled with Superior Drummer. Linusās bass is also the result of home recording; he used a clean DI signal that was reamped with Parallax. The sound is definitely a bit dirty and unpolished in places, and I don’t consider myself a great mixer, but I think that raw edge fits the band’s sound.“
Many of our readers and your fans wonder if there will be a chance to hear your music live. Do you have plans in this regard for the near future?
“It’s hard to say for sure, but I’m optimistic that it will happen eventually. We did a few shows when we initially started the project back in 2015, and with the album’s release, there’s definitely interest in performing live. It all comes down to priorities, timing, and logistics. But I certainly hope we can make it happen!“
You are all musicians from other musical projects, what did they bring to the sound of the band?
“While we all share a deep appreciation for progressive music, our individual tastes encompass a wide range of sub-genres and favorite bands. This diversity allows us to bring different influences and interpretations to the table. For example, Joakim and I have very different guitar solo styles, which I think is important in a band with two lead guitars. Linus also provided valuable feedback on all the songs and parts before recording bass, adding his own ideas and flavor. And Kalle brought a hard-hitting style of drumming that really suits the music, as well as a natural ability to groove in odd time signatures.“
The line-up consists of experienced Swedish musicians; how do you see today’s music scene in your country?
“It’s very tough, actually. We experienced a wave of live venue closures right before and during the pandemic. Every so often, a new venue pops up, offering bands a place to play, but it’s still difficult. There are limited venues, but so many bands, making it hard to get your foot in the door, even if you’re willing to play for free. Unfortunately, being a prog band doesn’t make it any easier. “Prog” often carries a negative stereotype that isn’t particularly appealing to bookers I feel. Also, prog can fall into a category where the identity isn’t super clear due to the variation and experimentation ā sometimes it’s really soft, sometimes really heavy, etc. However, I don’t think we have that problem with Pale Epiphany, since the prog elements are kept to a minimum and the sound is pretty homogenous.“
Given your experience, what advice would you give to young artists approaching music with sounds like yours?
“Be discerning about the quality of your music, but don’t be afraid to fail. You should be prepared to “kill your babies,” so to speak. Often, I’ve written songs where something feels missing or not good enough. I change something, fix something, and change something else, but it’s still not good enough. Sometimes, it’s better to start from scratch with a new song if it’s not good enough. That being said, I also know musicians who never get satisfied and never release anything. As long as you like what you’ve made, go for it! Don’t strive for an unachievable level of perfection. Aim for the best product you can create with your current skills and release it. That puts you on a roll that helps prevent paralysis. Whatever you learn from that experience and whatever new skill sets you acquire are things you can bring to the next song, album, or project.“
How do you see this new wave of technology that is invading music making also in the metal field?
“I have a love-hate relationship with it. It really depends on the situation. On the one hand, it has allowed all my musical projects to create a high-quality product on a limited budget. A lot of these tools are truly fascinating and super useful. For example, I have a huge passion for notation and tabbing out music I love, and there’s this app called Moises that isolates the various instruments in a song, so I can hear only the guitars or only the bass. It’s one of my absolute favorite tools. On the other hand, what is frightening and disheartening about this new wave of technology, such as AI, is the difficulty in detecting it. I just wish there was an easy way to confirm 100% that a piece of music or art was done using AI, so that credit is attributed accurately.“
Do you have other passions or artistic activities outside of music?
“I really love movies. I watch movies almost every day with my wife, and I rate everything I see. Other than that, I enjoy traveling and spending time with friends, but music is really the one big passion in my life.“
I thank the band for the interview, wishing them all the best in the promotion of their debut album and the continuation of their artistic career.
“Thank you very much!“
Purchase the album on Bandcamp: https://paleepiphany.bandcamp.com/album/pale-epiphany
