Helsinki-based progressive metal ambassador EGRES has released the highly anticipated single and a music video to it. The five-minute long “Retrieval” explores the impact of memories and remembering on the human perception of the happiness of life lived. It also touches on the concepts of experiencing and remembering selves. The song’s themes and lyrics were visioned by the cinematic composition, where the unconventional structures with semitone progressions grab the listener from the very first beats. This dark, intense piece shows the direction EGRES is heading in.
“It was wonderful to write playful, a little cryptic verses. The lyrics reflect my personal interest towards psychology and draw inspiration from the work of the late Daniel Kahnemann” – Hanna Lahtinen
“Upon hearing the first demo I was horrified by the robotic piano. However, as time went by and the song evolved, I started to feel exalted. Retrieval tells a story which challenges and amazes.” – Tristan Lumme
“The main motifs are this non-stop throbbing rhythm and the sounds of the piano. The guitar solo and the fact that the vocal melody is largely my handiwork are rather exceptional. Retrieval serves as the band’s current trendsetter” – Pekka Virtanen
As the song reached its final form, EGRES saw that the time had come for the band’s first music video. The video illustrates the song’s themes with a story that takes place in different times and places. The idea was originally to make the video on their own, but as time went on the project escalated as more and more people joined the project. The video got a director, cinematographers, a production manager, a cast of actors and a production company Woodpecker, where the band’s bassist Pekka Virtanen also works. The fine-tuning of the screenplay took time and the preparations required a lot of research and acquiring props. The intensive post-production from editing to colour grading and effects creation is a chapter in itself. In the end, Retrieval and its video were finished thanks to a lot of wonderful, talented, dedicated people.
“Making the video was challenging and physical despite being also fun. In the end I was repeating to myself in what have we done?!” – Tristan Lumme
“Retrieval” is found on all major streaming platforms. Link to the video below:
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/egresband
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/egresband
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@egresband
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@egresband?cbrd=1
Bandcamp https://egres.bandcamp.com/album/introspection
Biography:
EGRES, hailing from Finland, plays cinematic, progressive metal. Their music features unconventional, monumental structures, refined orchestration and elaborate coordination of an arsenal of instruments. The compositions are strongly leaning on intuition and inspired by, inter alia, the works of the greatest movie composers.
The journey started as an experiment which evolved into a full band of six members. Debut album Introspection saw the daylight in June 2022, and the next single Higher Beings was released in fall 2023. The newest piece Retrieval delves into the concepts of two selves and the susceptibility of memories. The story behind the song is illustrated via music video, which is the very first from the band.
EGRES has been touring for over two years in Finland and once in Estonia. The band is keen to perform live with constantly refining their setlist and show.
EGRES are:
Hanna Lahtinen – lead vocals,
Tristan Lumme – piano, keyboard, backing vocals,
Vilma Peltokangas – cello,
Juuso Tolonen – guitar, backing vocals,
Tommi Nissinen – drums,
Pekka Virtanen – bass
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