AKHLYS - DMP Anniversary Vinyl

"I affix a moment in timeless time,
To awaken my dreaming will,
To open the dreaming eye" ('The Dreaming I')

Already infamous for stellar songwriting and esoteric mastery via NIGHTBRINGER, in 2009 Naas Alcameth embarked on a deeply personal sonic exploration with his then ritualistic ambient solo project AKHLYS. Initial release, "Supplication," presented a fluctuating and surreal collage of sounds. However, it was on second invocation, "The Dreaming I" where the project transformed into a uniquely foreboding Black Metal portal into Naas' spectral nightmares.

As Alcameth puts it: "To me, "The Dreaming I" represents a genesis where AKHLYS first emerged as we know it today. It was on this album that the band's spirit and voice first entirely took form."

Originally released in June 2015, this exemplary piece of Black Metal artistry will be reissued as part of a series of exclusive slipcase edition LPs to celebrate the 20th birthday of our label. Handprinted by our long-time partner Le 7e Oeil, we present the DMP XX Anniversary slipcase edition of "The Dreaming I" – additionally featuring an exclusive OBI strip, designed by renowned artist Adrian Baxter (PARADISE LOST, BLACKBRAID).

This edition is limited to 187 copies and includes a poster and download card. The album will never appear again in this exact form. Orders are exclusively through our EU, US, and Bandcamp stores as well as AKHLYS' Noxial US shop and will start on December 1st.

"...will cause the listener to drift into the in-between world of haunting dreams and terrible nightmares." (Cvlt Nation)

"... swirling, complex stuff that both manifests and dwells within a suffocating, immense atmosphere. It's huge, unsettling, and yet often incredibly melodic." (Last Rites)

""The Dreaming I's" five tracks are fierce in their intensity and beguiling in their atmospheric luster." (The Metal Observer)

"The Dreaming I" stands as an awe-inspiring and majestic sonic edifice in five transcendent compositions. Each track is a dark tunnel of fury and intensity, an invitation to lose oneself in the perilous yet hypnotic melodies. The album highlights Naas' extraordinary talents as both a musician and composer, its fusion of frenzied energy, meticulous arrangements and eerie melodies are a captivating auditory experience. Alcameth himself adds "I see this record as a part of the ongoing development and metamorphosis of Black Metal, which always strives to break barriers and explore new grounds while not compromising what is integral to black metal's spirit."

In an in-depth interview with Bardo Methodology, Alcameth relayed the inspiration behind AKHLYS:

"I wanted to create an outlet for the many strange occurrences I've been through either whilst dreaming, falling asleep, or waking up. Direct and personal experiences, as opposed to speculation or second-hand philosophising on purported mystical or occult circumstances; consequently, these are the ones I hold most sacred. They're also largely responsible for my esoteric interests, as I've been undergoing seemingly inexplicable phenomena around sleeping and dreaming for as long as I can recall. Whatever all this actually is, it's been highly formative. [...] This 'feeling', 'spirit', 'essence', or whatever one wishes to call it – this 'thing' that is equal parts dread and fascination, just as much 'inside' as it is 'outside' of us – is exactly what I wanted to embody with AKHLYS, because it is sacred to me."

Listen to the album here: