Italian doom/death metal solo project Ars Onirica premiere »Nighttime Part I« music video; »2.5 Nighttime« EP out today via Ardua Music!
Rome, Italy based melodic doom/death metal solo project Ars Onirica by Alessandro Sforza (Invernoir) premiere a music video for »Nighttime Part I« taken from new EP, »2.5 Nighttime«, which just dropped this Friday, October 24th, 2025 via Ardua Music.
Tracklist:
01. Dusk (An Ode To The Stars)
02. Nighttime Part I
03. Nighttime Part II
04. Nighttime Part III
05. Dawn
Courtesy of Imperative PR:
The sublime new EP of dreaming doom from Alessandro Sforza’s Ars Onirica, »2.5 Nighttime«, is out today; a remarkable chapter in the project’s story which left Games Brrraaains And A Headbanging Life “absolutely in awe” in their 10/10 review. To mark the release of this stunning collection of songs Alessandro Sforza and Ardua Music have unveiled a video for the EP track »Nighttime Part I«.
Speaking about the video and song Alessandro reflects, “The night is our muse: silent, vast, and able to hold both shadows and sparks. »Nighttime Part I« was born in that suspended space where pain becomes memory, and hope quietly takes shape within the cracks of the dark. A slow, visionary hymn balanced between melancholy and inner light. Doom metal that listens to dreams, transforms them, and returns them to the world, one heartbeat at a time.”
Ars Onirica began life in 2003 in Rome, a full, five piece band who produced just one demo before fading back into the darkness. It wasn’t until 2018 that Alessandro Sforza resurrected the band name and Ars Onirica started its second life, as a solo project. A first album, »I: Cold«, was released in 2019 and then in 2022 »II: Lost« followed, an excellent album that really began to establish the Ars Onirica name. »II: Lost« rightly garnered much critical acclaim from the metal press, with Musipedia Of Metal noting how “affecting and filled with emotion” Alessandro’s compositions were.
Photo credit: Floriana Ausili
Now, nearly three years on from the release of »II: Lost«, the next chapter in Ars Onirica’s story is here – an EP rather than a full album, but still overflowing with priceless treasures – »2.5 Nighttime« is a potent and powerful display of Ars Onirica’s unique magic.
Alessandro Sforza would say: “While I was writing new songs I realized that some of them were deeply connected so I decided to put them all together as a little concept EP. »2.5 Nighttime« EP is a journey through the night divided into five phases, beginning with the song »Dusk (An Ode To The Stars)« and ending with »Dawn«. The night is seen as a “safe zone” a place where you can detach from your own reality and find some peace and rest for your soul. In my case I see the night like a inspiring muse that helps me transforming reality into something beautiful and bright so be welcome and enjoy this musical journey where hope and desperation coexist like two sides of the same coin.”
Beginning with the immersive and transportative »Dusk (An Ode To The Stars)« you are immediately drawn into Ars Onirica’s world of dreaming doom. The three parts of »Nighttime« follow, each distinctly different yet each so clearly intertwined. Warmth and wide-eyed wonder flow smoothly into majestic power and fiery, impassioned vocals; spiralling melodies cascade down into darkly shadowed urgency and the contrasts of light and shade, power and poignancy are woven masterfully together. Alessandro’s guitar playing is superb and both the harsh and clean vocals are of exceptional quality. After the tumultuous wonders of »Nighttime« – parts I – III – the EP closes with the beautiful sunrise of »Dawn«, the sorceries of dreams drifting away with the starlight in a fabulously realised conclusion. To dismiss »2.5 Nighttime« as ‘just an EP’, would be a grave mistake, as Alessandro Sforza has forged something rare and precious, a collection of songs that will shine for years to come, an intrinsic part of Ars Onirica’s unique tale.
Ardua Music will unveil »2.5 Nighttime«’s singular enchantments on October 24th, adorned in the breathtaking artwork of Disturbing Grace Design – imagery that speaks with the same voice as the remarkable music within. The EP was recorded, mixed and mastered at Blue Ocean Recording Studio by Alessandro Sforza and Lorenzo Carlini of Black Therapy and Invernoir, who also worked on »I: Cold« and »II: Lost« and the palette of sound that they have captured is just perfect for these layered and vibrant songs. Be ready to enter the world of dreams once more as the door to Ars Onirica’s kingdom opens again as the Autumn leaves begin to fall.
Order »2.5 Nighttime« EP:
arduamusic.com
arduamusic.bandcamp.com
arsonirica.bandcamp.com
Line-up:
Alessandro Sforza – All music and vocals
FFO: Anathema | The Gathering | Tiamat | Ghostheart Nebula
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well