Mexican avant-garde progressive/atmospheric metal project Phendrana announce new album »Cathexis«; first single/video streaming now!
Mexico City, Mexico based avant-garde progressive/atmospheric metal project Phendrana will release the second album »Cathexis« on February 6th, 2026.
Watch a music video for the first single and title track »Cathexis« below!
Tracklist:
01. Lamento
02. Cathexis
03. Sentience
04. The Effigy & The Titan
Courtesy of Deviate PR:
Avant-garde progressive/atmospheric metal project Phendrana provokes introspection in the forthcoming album »Cathexis«. Contained within is a plethora of instrumental textures and intriguing progressive arrangements as listeners are invited to confront depression, loneliness, and our existential fears. Led by composer and multi-instrumentalist Anuar Salum, and joined by an array of talented guests, Phendrana is preparing to unveil »Cathexis« on the 6th of February, 2026.
Anuar Salum comments on »Cathexis«:
“»Cathexis« seeks to be the culminating fusion of all these elements, from combining a progressive rock influence with his classical music training to including lyrics inspired by a profound existentialism derived from the reflexive despair of authors like Albert Camus, and the hopeful analysis of existentialist suffering by authors like Dostoevsky. Featuring the extremely prolific lineup of talented musicians including Richard Schill (Dead By April, The Unguided, ex-Shining), Daniel Droste (Ahab) and Adrián Terrazas-González – flute/saxophone (ex-The Mars Volta), the playing in »Cathexis« combines the elegance and subtlety of Camel, the dynamism and versatility of Opeth and the delicate art of chamber music instrumentation.”
The haunting vibrato orchestral strings of »Lamento« introduce »Cathexis« by manifesting an otherworldly atmosphere. The sound soon augments with the arrival of further instruments which bring a sense of anticipation and foreboding. »Cathexis«, the album’s title track, is emotive and serene beginning with layered acoustic guitar and strings before building into a full wall of sound. »Cathexis« traverses through an array of moods and styles with progressive sections, jazz influences and a vast array of instrumental textures appearing and then dissipating across the piece. Ana Bitrán’s haunting vocals enhance the musical layers, not only providing lyrical narrative but also functioning as another instrument. Before long, the light and serenity are interrupted with a ferocious cacophony of heaviness and Salum’s fierce harsh vocals. Moments of light and shade dance and alternate in the latter part of »Cathexis«, before becoming entwined for the track’s finale.
Photos by Caro Fernández
»Sentience« strikes with high intensity. Unyielding percussion offers an intriguing accompaniment to brighter guitar tones. The driving sound soon settles into a moody groove rhythm. Salum’s vicious harsh vocals see the shadows encroach further with anguish, before soaring melodic cleans break through the gloom. These juxtaposing vocal timbres highlight the dynamic mixture of aspects explored in the musical layers beneath them. As the track progresses, moments of peace are violently interrupted with a descent into the demonic depths. The return of the track’s prominent motifs creates some semblance of stability despite the fluctuating musical styles that rise and fall. Extremes of emotion appear to battle one another in a fight to coexist. »Sentience«, in its final section, returns to more uplifting plains, with ethereal vocals carrying a message of surrendering to the dark and allowing its intent to unfold.
»Cathexis«’s magnum opus »The Effigy & The Titan«, makes an eerie entrance initiated by Salum’s discordant piano chords. A nightmarish soundscape ensues that is unsettling with its unpredictability. Orchestral strings pierce through the breaks between piano notes and inject droning dissonance. The arrival of percussion and guitars brings a different form of intensity as the track journeys into heavier realms. Daniel Droste’s monstrous gutturals are delivered menacingly at a slow and considered pace, appearing to rise up from the abyss below. The thundering metal onslaught is transformed into a cinematic, peaceful section, seeing the return of the album’s thematic spoken narrative. »The Effigy & The Titan« falls into progressive metal for its final chapter. The music is powerful in its movement and characterful in texture, conveying both elements of the obliterating darkness, and uplifting tones of hope.
Pre-order here:
phendranaband.bandcamp.com/album/cathexis
About Phendrana:
Phendrana is an avant-garde progressive/atmospheric metal project from Mexico City, founded by composer and multi-instrumentalist Anuar Salum in 2013. Salum, a formally trained classical composer, combines elements from atmospheric and progressive genres. Salum’s compositions are permeated by tints of influence given by his rich multicultural background as a Mexican of Arab descent, the progressive rock and metal training that he has received throughout his life, and from the teachings of philosophical masters including Dostoevsky and Camus, who have shaped his ideology.
Phendrana has steadily grown within the underground scene, opening for international acts such as Alcest, Sylvaine, Heretoir, Gehenna, and Nader Sadek. The debut album, »Sanctum: Sic Transit Gloria Mundi« (2018), received international praise and was nominated for Extreme Album of the Year at the Osmium Metal Awards.
Phendrana seeks to combine the classical and metal worlds in a non-traditional way. The forthcoming album, »Cathexis«, in terms of structure, nods to the dynamic flow of 1970s prog records like Yes – »Close To The Edge« and »Relayer«, with carefully constructed contrasts in range and texture instead of over-compression. Progressive rock and death metal are significant influences with further elements drawn from across the realms of atmospheric black metal, post-metal, and avant-garde.
Line-up:
Anuar Salum – Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, Grand Piano, Orchestration, Composition
Guest collaborators:
Richard Schill [Dead By April, The Unguided, ex-Shining (Swe)] – Drums
Adrián Terrazas-González [T.R.A.M., ex-The Mars Volta, ex-Omar Lopez Rodriguez Group] – Woodwinds on »Cathexis«
Daniel Droste [Ahab] – Vocals on »The Effigy & The Titan«
Ana Bitrán – Female Vocals, Narrations
Mafoo – Lead guitars on »Sentience« and »The Effigy & The Titan«
Gabriel Bitrán – Piano solo on »The Effigy & The Titan«
Ulises Juárez Mendoza – Cello
Credits:
Drums recorded by Rob Kukla at Obsidian Recording, Sweden.
Guitars recorded by Manuel Mena at SMS Studios, Mexico.
Mixing and mastering by Jens Siefert at Rama Tonstudio, Germany.
Produced by Alonso Huerta and Anuar Salum.
Cover art by Neyha Sofat.
Layout by Caro Fernández.
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well