I'm glad you asked this, thank you! I don't think anyone else has before. We purposely decided to leave it ambiguous, so the meaning of the image changes with the mood of the listener. The image itself comes from a horrifying "vision" I had as a teenager in which it was made very clear to me that mankind was doomed to destroy itself (this experience is what the track "Emergence" is about), and from that perspective it was very clearly insinuated to be the final sunset at the end of the world. However, towards the end of the album there are also glimmers of hope, and it's no coincidence that the final track with vocals is called "A New Dawn", making it a sunrise. So it really depends: do you think there is hope for us?

​​​​​​​​​​​@@Shylmagoghnar Oo..i see.. But in my religion (islam) at the issued about when the time to the end of this world is that still in secret of God (Allah) mighty minded of when it's will be happen and at what the time, we call the time of the end of this world as "Qiamat". But the God (Allah) was notified to us it's that the Qiamat or the day of the end to this world will be happen on friday but which one of the day of friday and what the time to be happen it's is still on God (Allah) secret mighty minded. Believe it and take note about this knowledge, or you also believe it's the true of knowledge about the Qiamat at the one day will be happen. # i'm very like your music song melody arrangement, it's so cool on feeling to blow my mind. Good job 👍 Well done!🎼🤟🎶🔥🎵🌈⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐💯 👣 😊 👋

Thank you! The project has guided me through some severe ups and downs and it always makes me particularly glad to hear when it's doing the same for others. All the best!

I'm glad to hear it, thank you! Yes those are comparison I hear often, and while I don't consider them inspirations for this project, I do think those are magnificent bands as well. It's an honor to be noticed and mentioned next to those guys :)

That happens to be one of my favorite classic bands, so you probably heard that right!

Thank you so very kindly! It accompanied both of us during a dark time.

That is one of the most important things goals for me when creating an album (and also the reason that these things tend to take years), so thank you for letting me know the effort is not going unnoticed! It truly means a lot to me

Thank you very much! I'm glad you felt it :)

Congrats dude! /m\

I cannot thank you enough for your heartfelt personal reaction (both here and on the AMA video)! What you wrote is the best thing anyone could ever hear about their work imo. These albums are always such an uphill battle to create that it's easy to fall into negative thought spirals, and so far I've slipped into a deep depression shortly after every single release. During those times, the question inevitably arises: "Why am I still doing this?". Then I read a reaction like yours, and it just completely makes my day. It's not about the compliments, but about what they represent to me: your understanding on a deeper level what this journey was about, and experiencing it as I had so desperately hoped people would in these past difficult years. That effective connection/communication on a visceral, or perhaps even metaphysical level might just be the highest goal of art imo. My friend, thank you for brightening my day. See you on the next album!

​@@Shylmagoghnar Some of the best things in life come from struggle and hardship, and your music is no exception. For all of the hardship you've endured in life and in creating these wonderful masterpieces, it has certainly not fallen on deaf ears. Also, I just discovered the music video for The Sea, and as soon as I saw the opening part and really paid attention to the lyrics of that song, not only did it reshape my relationship with the song, but I couldn't help but shed tears, both for the beauty of the music and message of the song, as well as for your loss. Having lost my dad (whom I wasn't very close with) a few years ago, that pain is indescribable. But a mother is something truly special, and I cannot imagine the pain you felt; you have my condolences and my deepest sympathies, my friend. That was a beautiful tribute to your mother, and I'd say she was blessed to have such a thoughtful son.

I certainly will, thank you for making the journey worth it for me! \m/

?

@@Wirmish 😏

Happy to say I did see it! I also just responded to your wonderful comment on the new album, thank you so much for all of it - it was just what I needed to hear right now. It's fantastic that A New Dawn took on its own personal meaning for you! It always makes me particularly happy to know that the music is not just enjoyed on a passive level, but actually doing something positive and meaningful in someone else's life. I must also mention that since the release of this video, I've heard many personal accounts about that song, so in retrospect I think I made the mistake of attaching too much value to streaming data. Just because the track gets heard less than others on the album doesn't necessarily mean that it is received badly. A healthy reminder to not dwell on numbers too much! I feel you about the struggles of early parenthood. I did always want a kid, yet despite never wanting to go back, it's undeniably tough as hell. I can only imagine how rough it must be when your own being resists it on some level. Have your feelings towards parenthood changed now that the early years are (probably) behind you? It's also great to hear that the more personal interviews and videos like this one did something for you. I've been trying to become less of a recluse in the last decade, and these were definitely a bit of a jump into cold water for me. That's also why I went in unscripted from the start - I didn't want to give myself the option to develop a camera personality. It's really quite freeing to know that I can just be myself without the world coming to an end - or at the very least not because of that... ;)

​@@Shylmagoghnar I'm really happy to hear that you've gotten so much positive feedback on A New Dawn - I can certainly see how going by the numbers could skew your view. But it warms my heart to know that you're aware of how impactful what you've created is for some of us. As for parenthood, I'm happy to say that things have gotten much better since, and I'm much more on board now than I was before my first son was born. Both of my boys are school-aged now, which has had its own challenges, but much better than what came before. I was terrified at what becoming a father would mean for me back then, and to top it off, the day my first was born, we became homeless after standing up to our landlord who refused to remedy a pre-existing issue in our apartment that made it impossible for us to bring him home from the hospital. The moment I saw him, I simultaneously melted and hardened myself to fight for him in a way I never would have before, and become the dad I never had. But I feel Emergence really helped me in a profound way through that period, almost as if life gave me the gift of discovering that album at the dawn of the new life ahead of me. I'm just now realizing the irony of the timing of that release and when I discovered it; the name of both the album and my favorite track from it. But it all just makes that record all the more special for me! <3 I also really appreciate you taking the time to respond to the comments I left. I actually felt like I was oversharing a bit, and I probably spent an hour on each trying to distill all I wanted to say into something a bit more succinct than the actual novel of the thoughts I wanted to share (some of which has leaked out here). But I was also really trying hard not to fan-girl too much as well lol - I just felt I had to share the incredible amount of joy and inspiration you've brought to me with your music, and I'm happy it was well-received! And just as what I said to you was what you needed to hear, what you said to me was what I needed to hear right now. I feel music on an incredibly deep level, sometimes being brought to tears by the composition alone. But I don't have any friends to share with, and the few close people I do have in my life do not seem to appreciate music - especially most the stuff I listen to - in the same way as I do. Sharing that passion with anyone else doesn't really ever get to happen for me, and recently that lack of camaraderie over something so important to me has had me feeling a bit depressed, so it means more than you can imagine hearing back from you and feeling a sense of connection with not only someone I admire and a fellow music lover, but another person in general. I definitely understand how jarring it can be to put yourself out there, especially online (and on video, no less!). As an introvert and a life-long recluse myself, I find it difficult to even comment on anything online, opting to just watch as everyone else shares. It certainly does feel like a cold plunge to bare yourself to the world, even if it's only a small glimpse into who you are. But I'm happy you approached it with authenticity, as it's only made me appreciate you and your music more! ^_^

Cheers man! Glad to see you're enjoying the albums so much!

I'm very glad to hear that, thank you! As for shirts, there are print-on-demand shirts available for the first album on Spreadshirt. A link to these is on the Shylmagoghnar Bandcamp ( shylmagoghnar dot bandcamp dot com ), as it depends on what country you're from. Convergence shirts should still be available through the Napalm Records online store (there is a US and EU version). Those might also be available through general retailers and music/merch stores. For Transience there used to be shirts made by Napalm Records but I think they haven't been printed in a while, so unless you find old stock floating around, I don't think they are available anymore. Hope that helps in your search! Thanks again \m/

@@Shylmagoghnar thanks, I will follow your suggestions.

That makes me glad to hear! It's strangely fitting, considering the social isolation this album was created in. Thank you for letting me know it ended up doing some good for you.

ah crap i already said that o well

Нет, извини, я не знаю. Спасибо, что просветили меня

yes

Thank you kindly! I hear that comparison every now and then. I'm not sure why that is, as I don't hear the likeness myself and I don't consider Windir to be among the influences for this project. I discovered them very late, when the sound for this band was already established in my head so to say. With that said, Windir had some really great songs, so I'm honored to even be mentioned in the same breath \m/

Thank you for the kind words! I'm hoping to keep it up for many more years

Thank you very much!

It was when I uploaded it. Very strange!