Swedish progressive death metallers SKYFIRE have spent over 5 years writing new materials since its last release. Unleashed a few months before the band’s full length magnum opus titled Esoteric, the digital-only Fractal release represents the band’s best material written between 2004 and 2009. A short four song EP, Fractal serves to thank long time fans who have patiently waited for new material with songs that would have otherwise never seen the light of day. Among its four songs is a preview track from Esoteric aptly titled “Esoteric” as a taste of the full length onslaught to follow suit. The songs on Fractal utilize the same epic bombast as Esoteric while simultaneously maintaining the melancholic attitude heard on 2004’s Spectral. The tracks were recorded, mixed and mastered at the band's Powernest Studios with new members Joakim Karlsson (vocals; MARK:BLACK) and Johan Reinholdz (guitars; ANDROMEDA, NONEXIST) with the exception of “Esoteric” which was mixed and mastered by Jonas Kjellgren (SCAR SYMMETRY, SONIC SYNDICATE, ZONARIA, THE ABSENCE). Fractal not only provides diehard fans with some exceptional songs that would have otherwise never been released, it is also the first taste of new SKYFIRE material which will be continued on the band’s Esoteric full length out in September 2009. Joakim Jonsson: Drums Martin Hanner: Bass, keys and orchestral arrangements Johan Reinholdz: Lead guitar Andreas Edlund: Guitar, keys and orchestral arrangements Joakim Karlsson: Vocals All music written by Martin Hanner and Andreas Edlund. All lyrics written by Joakim Karlsson All arrangements by Skyfire. Recorded in Powernest Studios 2008-2009. Produced, Engineered, Mixed and Mastered by Skyfire except “Esoteric” Mixed and Mastered by Jonas Kjellgren in Abyss Studios. Cover art by Elise Beaudry Land of the Wolves The experimental lust Should have been the warning itself Instead it quenched the thirst And the life of the ignorant Unrestrained is the pain What can’t be seen can still be felt And erase everything No one is safe... No one is safe... Sent to a certain death Without knowing at all Just do as you are told now And let us handle the aftermath Rely on us Devastation The ruins are standing cold and dark Here in the land of the wolves As mankind suffers the punishment They will outlast us all Another number for the statistics Another soul burnt to ashes Whatever you say cannot pursuade us The facts are well hidden and denied They will never see daylight again Locked in and the key is thrown away Buried in the ground So poisoned Denial Boundaries bound to be broken Promises, a failure of man spoken A once so flourishing society laid to waste Unleash the plague and see them scatter See them suffer and die A disastrous decision At the cost of everything The source is shut down The bleeding has stopped But you´ll never know Transparent The ruins are standing cold and dark Here in the land of the wolves As mankind suffers the punishment They will outlast us all The ruins are standing cold and dark They will outlast us all Mankind suffers the punishment The lesson is ours to learn Bereaved in Denial Walking the streets of nowhere A stroll in the dark alone Unwilling to be seen Unlikely to be known If making the problem visible Then urging for a sollution What’s dwelled in the dark Might not be meant to see Those eyes - Watching, Disturbing Demise - Of one’s free will Disguised - Crawling, Searching Whats not seen, can´t exist Bereaved in denial A chosen path of existence Is it, or is it not? A grudging admission A reminiscence so distant If making the problem visible Then urging for a solution Whats dwelled in the dark Might not be meant to see Those eyes - Watching, Disturbing Demise - Of one’s free will Disguised - Crawling, Searching Whats not seen, can´t exist Bereaved in denial Slating the needs of man Craving for so much less Inner peace and the sweet relief Is laying close at hand If making the problem visible Then urging for a solution What’s dwelled in the dark Might not be meant to see Those eyes - Watching, Disturbing Demise - Of one’s free will Disguised - Crawling, Searching Whats not seen, can´t exist Bereaved in denial The Transgressor Within Whatever happened to you Both body and mind Carried away by ignorance A soul going colder day by day There is nothing left But agony and deceit And bitterness so sweet Deceiving your dreams It’s a predictable end Going out of control Act alone The transgressor within Is now your guide You drift away Reigning in silent words Speaking words not meant to hear Building fences high and strong Creating a world of your own There is nothing left But agony and deceit And bitterness so sweet Deceiving your dreams It’s an unavoidable end Going out of control Act alone The transgressor within Is now your guide You drift away Seeking no answers at all The decision is already made Follow just follow The transgressor within Follow, just follow A need to give is growing stronger Taking over even more, day by day Soon there will be no more regrets Feeding itself from the core Infesting and moulding To be the only option available No more second chances Act alone Senses fluctuating again Telling you things that you can´t handle Lashing out, tearing down It´s useless to resist anymore There is nothing left But agony and deceit And bitterness so sweet Deceiving your dreams It’s a predictable end Going out of control Act alone The transgressor within Is now your guide You drift away Esoteric A glimpse over this field of sorrow It´s more than meets the eye But in the eye of the beholder It´s telling secrets and a lie There is no room for mistakes Tresspassing to the point of no return Voices from within Are my only witnesses to this madness The truth is hard to see here As I am twisting your minds If I fall I´m taking it with me down Esoteric remains All eyes on me The logic beats the word Awaiting to see Endurance beats the restless I’ll never give in It would mean an impossible ending The breakdown of me Must never occur Must never occur A vague premonition That is all there is Escalating to a nightmare But here’s nothing to see... A vague premonition That is all there is Escalating into a nightmare But here’s still nothing to see I’m giving you nothing instead of something Or was there anything I forgot? Hesitation is never an option Then in a second it’s all over... The truth is hard to see here As I am twisting your minds When I fall I´m taking it with me down Esoteric remains