Utopie

Aephanemer's Utopie came out through Napalm Records on 31 October 2025, two days after Marquee's Avalon label released it in Japan (MICP-11986), an edition the Japanese label calls the band's first in Japan. The Toulouse melodic death metal band's fourth studio album has nine songs, about 51 minutes on CD, and the digital edition adds instrumental versions of all nine. Marion Bascoul sings, Martin Hamiche covers guitars, bass and orchestrations and Mickael Bonnevialle plays drums; the band produced it, Yannick Tournier recorded it at Waïti Studios, Dan Swanö mixed it and Mika Jussila mastered it at Finnvox. Napalm speaks of heavier classical influences, orchestral arrangements and a Slavic folk tinge, with lyrics that face utopia rather than flee into it. The band calls "Contrepoint" its most polyphonic track and took the title of "Le Cimetière Marin" and one line from a Paul Valéry poem. Official videos for "La Règle du Jeu", "Le Cimetière Marin" and "Contrepoint", the last filmed at Rockharz and Summer Breeze, are on their channel.