xlibris, the heavy metal sensation from Poland, return this Autumn with the third studio album entitled "Aftereal". The release date is scheduled for December, 1st in Europe and January, 13th 2015 in North America (via MVD). And today the band reveal the artwork and tracklist of the new album.
Tracklist:
1. The Continuum
2. Escape Velocity
3. The Day Of Burning
4. In The Darkest Hour
5. Omega Point
6. Before The Storm
7. King Of The Pit
8. Darker Than Black
9. Closer
10. False Messiah
11. The Mental Crusade
12. Suspended Animation
The artwork was designed by Michał "Xaay" Loranc and Daniel Lechmański.
The band are sure to surprise their fans this time around, also because of the many outstanding guest musicians featured on the album. While working on "Aftereal", the band kept coming up with ideas for particular guest appearances. In the end, the line-up became quite impressive: Piotr "Dziki" Chancewicz (Wild Pig, Mech) and Piotr Rutkowski from Corruption played guitar solos. Misiek comments: "It was Dani who thought of Piotrek 'Rutkoś' Rutkowski, known from, among other bands, Corruption and Spirit, and that was a bullseye. This incredibly talented young man recorded a beautiful guitar solo - the longest one on 'Aftereal'. The album's intro, in turn, was recorded by Michał Staszkun, known from his cooperation with Hate. There's one more guest performer that will appear on the album. The details regarding that guest appearance, however, are for now shrouded in mystery. We only know he's a well known artist and that he contributed his vocal talent". Exlibris's drummer adds: "We're extremely satisfied about that lineup, as every single guest performer did his absolute best, and every one of them did it in their own style, making the album even more diversified. I shudder at the thought of who we might be inviting on our next album."
The recordings took place at ZED Studio. The vocal parts were recorded at HZ Studio, where the band's previous album "Humagination" was recorded. The mix and mastering were handled by Tomek Zalewski.
The band was formed in late 2003 by Daniel Lechmański and Piotr Sikora. Their first studio album "Skyward" from 2006 received quite good reviews. Over the next few years, the bands struggled with line-up changes within the rhythm section, but continued to create music and to play occasional concerts. In the meantime, Daniel Lechmański joined Chain Reaction and recorded three albums with them. Also, Piotr Sikora is a member of Leash Eye since 2009. In January 2012 the band started to record their second album - "Humagination". During the recording time, it turned out that their vocalist Marcin will not be able to complete the recordings. Krzysztof Sokołowski aka Mistress of the Night became their new frontman. As a result, the recordings ended in early 2013. Their next album "Aftereal" is scheduled for release in late Autumn 2014. The title "Aftereal" reflects the album's atmosphere and lyrics, and there was complete agreement in the band about that choice. The keyboard player Piotr Sikora comments, "Just like it was with 'Humagination', there's a certain leitmotif in the lyrics, which refers to the album's title. They describe realities other than our own - from nightmares, through some kind of fantasy, to the so-called netherworld."
