existence

Once Upon a Winter's Dramatic Journey Through ".existence"

existence

Once Upon a Winter manifested its follow-up to last year’s Selective Depression in Chase of the Big Bang with the delicate magic of .existence. Despite hailing from the blissful warmth of Greece, solo artist Illias Kakanis conjures the howling winds and sparkly snowfalls of the season without utilizing the easy black metal trope. With a post-everything attitude and unapologetic atmospheric breaks, .existence still isn’t above giving a nod to an old head if it serves a purpose; a few key guitar solos facilitate the ability of certain sections to reach the top of the mountain. Together, all the moving parts etch a symphony fit for the rock omnivore.

There is no better way to ring in a great year for Once Upon a Winter than a visual release for .existence’s title track. A true ode to the season, breathtaking autumn-into-winter naturescapes serve as the prime backdrop for journeying guitars and well-placed vocals. Filmed in Finland, the video’s tone oozes the same authenticity that Once Upon a Winter excels at embodying. More of the band’s powerful, yet minimalist aesthetic will be shared as .existence prepares to be released from the gates of Bandcamp, finding a new home on CD and vinyl.

Physical copies of .existence drop tomorrow via Snow Wave Records. Follow Once Upon a Winter on Facebook. Here’s what Kakanis has to say about the track:

“.existence” was the first song that I’ve written after the release of the first album, and it instantly set the tone for the new album. It was a very strange and unique period of my life, dwelling with the human nature, the things that really make a mark on your life, on your existence, sort [to] speak. I was in awe of how the complexity of human relationships can lead to an oppressive state of mind, and the only way to deal with it is to bypass the mind completely and simply embrace the emotion. We create that complexity, we owe it to ourselves to eliminate it.

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