Five-piece British band Ihlo will see their debut album Union rereleased and available for the first time on vinyl through London-based progressive rock label Kscope later this year, on 11th October, alongside a run of UK tour dates planned for that month.
Commenting on this, lead singer and vocalist Andy Robison said: “We in Ihlo are very excited to be working with Kscope. After more than five years working as an independent act, to be taking the next step with such a highly established label featuring many artists we love and look up to is an awesome endeavour that fills us with a lot of energy for the future!”
Speaking on the reissue and the new partnership with Kscope, Robison added “We’re very happy to finally be able to release this record on vinyl after many, many requests! It’s been a long time coming and we hope that this reissue with the incredible remastering by Acle will be a great way to relisten or discover the Ihlo sound for the first time! The songs on this record mean a lot to us and we can’t wait to give them a couple more spins on the road this October before we finish off Album 2.”
Characterised by a masterful fusion of progressive metal, electronic experimentation and subtle pop sensibilities, Ihlo‘s sound has been described as “equal parts fascinating and intriguing”.
Originally formed as a duo following a previous collaboration between Robison and guitarist Phil Monro, Ihlo’s final lineup was complete with the introduction of additional guitarist Rob Mair, Clark McMenemy on drums and Michael Roberts on bass.
Originally released in 2019, Union is a progressive expedition into myriad gorgeous sonic realms, deftly switching between passages of dream-like synth work and unrelenting, guttural chugging. Robison’s layered lyrics are inspired by themes of surrealism, nature and transcendence, his vocals compared to the likes of Jeff Buckley and Cedric Bixler-Zavala.
The album reached #1 on Bandcamp’s Progressive Metal charts multiple times and continues to resonate with fans worldwide
Remastered by Acle Kahney of TesseracT, the new edition of Union will be available on vinyl LP for the first time ever as well as digipak CD with an 8-page booklet. The reissue also features two exclusive live recordings from the band’s performance at ProgPower Europe 2023, capturing the energy and musicianship that have made Ihlo a standout act in the prog community.
Tracks featured on Disc 1 are: ‘Union’, ‘Reanimate’, ‘Starseeker’, ‘Hollow’, ‘Triumph‘ and ‘Parhelion’. Disc 2 is given over to ‘Coalesce’, and on Disc 3 the live tracks from ProgPower Europe 2023, ‘In Stasis/Starseeker’ and ‘Hollow’.
You can order Union here.
UK TOUR DATES
17th October – 229, London UK
19th October – Aatma, Manchester UK
21st October – Trillians, Newcastle UK
22nd October – Bannermans, Edinburgh UK
23rd October – District, Liverpool UK
24th October – The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham UK
Tickets for all shows are available here.
