Atmospheric vocals with a charismatic timbre from Lodrö Nyima take us on a philosophical and metaphorical journey with percussion crashes, creating drama in line with the overarching crescendo of the track, tapping into a multitude of genres across acoustic rock, classical and avant-garde.
A moment of silence is followed by a higher octane delivery with assertive lyricism, and an instrumental breakdown creates a feeling of intensity in line with the intention of the creators. “Not right now, is this a sign?“, questions our protagonist before a folk-induced strings solo. Metal adjacent vocals allow for catharsis for both artists and listener. The raw emotion is tangible and the dramatic flair that the composition exudes is hypnotizing.
We appreciate the ebbs and flows of Vagrant’s Throne, with a visionary extended scream at the 5-minute mark, leading into an emotive breath work segment that further blows our minds. The imaginative resilience of the piece is simply out of this world.
A melancholic guitar performance allows us for a meditative repose with epic string chops only announcing the impending nature of what is to come. The presence of the cello allows us to tap into an earthly energy as stadium-filling drums tease us with empowering strings. A luscious and emotive rebuild into Lodrö Nyima‘s vocals and finale exclamation is appreciated, and leaves us yearning for more.
The talented duo cite influences including Opeth, Katatonia, Riverside, Anathema and Pain of Salvation to Tool, A Perfect Circle and many different Djent acts as sonic influences, which we can feel come through in the opus, although there is no doubt that The Arcane Insignia are manifesting a universe unto their own.
Speaking on their artistry, the creative pair tell us, “While maintaining our aesthetic entirely acoustic, we aim to break down antiquated barriers that limit what Prog Metal can stand for (amplification, distortion, traditional band lineup) while honouring the melodic sound of Classical music that stays true to our vision.”
The Arcane Insignia are currently in the final stages of completing their upcoming album A Violent Whisper, which we cannot wait to experience. In the meantime, we have added Vagrant’s Throne to our New Music Spotlight playlist, as well as our new TRIPPY playlist, whilst we continue to stream the duo’s wider discography including Humo de Vela, and Vicarious Virtues.