Within the intricate landscape of contemporary Progressive Metal, Philosophobia stand out as one of the most fascinating and mature acts on the European scene. This quintet — featuring members associated with Kamelot, Paul Di’Anno, and Wastefall — is preparing to release their second album “The Constant Void” (out July 11th via Sensory Records), a work that promises to further elevate their already well-established artistic vision.
Andreas, “The Constant Void” represents the natural evolution of your artistic journey after your critically acclaimed self-titled debut. How would you describe the band’s musical and compositional growth between the first and second albums?
Andreas: “Actually the process happens just naturally. I did not sit down and had a certain plan of how the songs have to sound or which direction they are going. Most of the songs from the debut album were written back in 2007 when we did the first demos. By the time I started writing the songs for ‘The Constant Void’ there were around 15 years inbetween the ‘old’ and the new songs. So probably there has been let’s call it a certain musical evolution regarding my songwriting. During the recording process though every band member felt a bit more free to bring in his personal taste.“
Your sound is defined by a unique fusion of progressive metal with heavier shades. What have been the main influences shaping Philosophobia’s sonic identity, and how have they evolved in this new work?
Andreas: “We have always had a big variety of influences. Alex for example is widely known as a metal drummer but his influences go also back to jazz and fusion. Speaking for myself guitar wise I am a huge fan of David Gilmour, Andy Timmons, John Petrucci and many many blues guitarists. So there is also a wide field of influences for me. Domenik’s influences reach from classic metal singers like Jorn Lande to prog singers like Daniel Gildenlöw to new stuff like Gojira. We never wanted to limit ourselves and that’s what you hear on ‘The Constant Void.’ We all are fans of really heavy stuff as much as we are fans of atmospheric and moody tunes. To combine these two worlds is sometimes challenging but can make a song so much better. ‘There is no light without darkness.‘”
The band was formed in 2020 by musicians from Germany, the Netherlands, and Greece. How does this geographical and cultural diversity impact your music and creative process?
Andreas: “Just a with the debut album I wrote all the songs. So the basics were finished before we got in the studio to record the album. Once in the studio everyone brought in there own ideas and we changed a bit here and there. We are in the writing process of the third album right now and we found a way online to do so more as a full band which is really fun! The cultural diversity brings in another element. The Forgotten Part 1&2 is a story told from Gaia’s view who is the first goddess to arise from the primal chaos in greek mythology. Although I have written the lyrics to these songs I probably would not have gotten into greek mythology without our singer Domenik who is greek.“
“The Forgotten Part I” addresses profound environmental themes through the lens of Greek mythology and the figure of Gaia. What led you to explore these subjects, and howdo they fit into the overall concept of “The Constant Void”?
Andreas: “Based on the observations over the last years we have to admit the we really f****ed this planet up. We were given this really beautiful planet but we have to admit that we have exploited it and in the and did not take care enough of this unbelievable gift we were given. Any discussion about this situation has become useless though. People do not listen to experts anymore or pretend they are telling lies. There is no concsens between most people anymore. What once was a gap between opinions now a become a void. And I do not see that this void can be fixed and it has become a constant void.“
The track is structured in three chapters, with Part I and Part II included on the album. Could you share the narrative genesis of this suite and how it musically unfolds across the 20-minute finale “The Forgotten Part II”?
Andreas: “Yes, Part 1&2 are on “The Constant Void” and Part 3 is going to be on the next album. Part 1 serves as the introduction, anticipating the quintessence of the story. Part 2 is basically how it came to this. Beginning with calm piano parts and first warnings in the first ‘harder’ part. A passage about humans try to deal with the situation by denying it leading to a spoken word passage that explains how humans have treated and exploited this planet up to a heavy metal part that stands for pure chaos and rage. The end of the song is again more melodic and a bit softer. Might this be ahint to the 3rd part? Is there hope? Well, we will find out how it concludes.“
You once again worked with Phil Hillen at SU2 Studios for production. What inspired you to continue this artistic partnership, and how did it help define the sound of “The Constant Void”?
Andreas: “I know Phil since many years and I know how his work ethics are. He always wants to find the best sound for the specific band or album. There are many producers out there who work according to the book. ‘A metal band has to sound like this – so I do the same!’ Phil is different. He basically is like a sixth band member and I know he has the same
vision for Philosophobia’s sound as we do. Besides that he is a super cool and chill dude. It is always fun to work with him!“
Sebastian Heuckmann replaced Kristoffer Gildenlöw on bass after performing live with you since 2024. How did he integrate into the compositional dynamic, and what did he contribute to the new album?
Andreas: “Sebastian is a phenomenal musician and we gave him all the freedom on bass. He came up with some great ideas that were included in the songs. For the third album he has already contributed much and we all look forward what else is coming from him.“
The track “F 40.8” features a guest keyboard solo by Vikram Shankar. How do these collaborations come about, and what role do they play in enriching your musical vision?
Andreas: “I have met Vikram a couple of years ago when he was helping out as live keybiard player in Avandra (prog band from Puerto Rico) when they played Prog Power Europe in the Netherlands. I am friends with Christian from Avandra and that’s how I met Vikram. Last year we played Ostrow Rock festival in Poland and besides us there was Pain of Slavation, for whom Vikram now plays the live keyboards, on the billing. We met backstage and talked for a long time. A couple of weeks later I had the idea of asking him if he wants to contribute a solo on our album. Although I would never ask musicians to play on our album just for the sake of name-dropping I have asked Vikram and also on our first album Damian Wilson to contribute because it made sense in musical way.
Following the success of your debut, which earned 10/10 reviews and international praise, did you feel the pressure of expectations while working on your sophomore album?
Andreas: “Actually not because ‘The Constant Void‘ was written before the debut album was released. So during the writing process there was no pressure at all. The songs just felt right. But of course after we saw all the ratings and praise the debut album brought the pressure grew!“
Do you have live dates planned to support “The Constant Void”? And what approach will you take to bring such intricate and complex material to the stage?
Andreas: “We have started booking right now and we hope to find a support slot on a tour soon. Apart from that we have a few festival appearances in the pipeline and as soon as they are confirmed we will announce them on our social media channels and website. Of course playing live is the most important today and people can expect an ergetic live show consisting of songs from both albums.“
Domenik, as the vocalist, what was the greatest challenge in interpreting lyrics that carry such philosophical and environmental weight? How do you balance melody and message in your performance?
Domenik: “One of the greatest challenges was allowing the weight of the lyrics to truly pass through me without overwhelming the melody itself. These words aren’t just poetic abstractions — they carry deep questions about existence, decay, and our relationship with a dying world. Interpreting them vocally meant I had to embody both the fragility and the fury behind the message. Balancing melody and message is like walking a tightrope. Too much emotion, and you risk losing the structure; too much control, and the soul fades. So I try to let the voice crack where it should, whisper where it aches, and soar when the spirit demands it. The goal is always the same: to make you feel what the Earth would scream if it had a voice.“
How do you see the current European Progressive Metal scene, and what role do you believe Philosophobia can play in the evolution of the genre?
Andreas: “If you take a look at european prog bands like Haken, Evergrey, Pain of Salvation and many others you can tell that the scene is alive and doing very well! Of course we hope that we will named with above mentioned one day. We will do everything to keep the spirit of prog metal alive and be part of this scene that we love so much ourselves.“
You’ve hinted at “a plethora of upcoming video content.” How important is the visual aspect in communicating your music, and what can fans expect?
Andreas: “Yes, we have released three videos so far and three more are coming. Besides that we have a couple behind the scenes videos, live videos, drum cams etc. coming up. In theses days it is a) important to release as much contenta s possible to stay present on social media and b) because it is great for the fans! I remember growing up in the 80s and 90s and all we could do was waiting for our favourite band to release a VHS live tape that maybe included some backstage material. Sometimes you had to wait years for that to happen. If at all! We live in times where it is super easy to upload things on a daily basis and give the fans what they are looking for. I would have loved that as a fan back in the days!“
We thank you for sharing with us this fascinating journey through “The Constant Void.“ In an era where Progressive Metal often risks losing its emotional soul to technical excess, Philosophobia prove that it is possible to preserve narrative depth without sacrificing compositional complexity. The album, set for release on July 11th via Sensory Records, promises to be one of the true gems of 2025 within the European Prog Metal scene.
“The Constant Void” was released on CD and digitally this Friday, July 11th. Find Orders at The Lasers Edge webshop HERE and Bandcamp – standard HERE and the hi-res HERE – and watch the videos for “King Of Fools” and “The Forgotten Part I” on YouTube HERE.
[…] Read our Exclsive interview with the band here: [Interview] Exclusive interview with Progressive Metal supergroup Philosophobia […]