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Evanescence ➢ Who Will You Follow

Following the release of the melancholic, groove-laden "Paralyzed" in May, Swiss modern metal outfit ILLUMISHADE, featuring ELUVEITIE vocalist Fabienne Erni and guitarist Jonas Wolf, explores new apocalyptic flavors — a genre departure built on dark electronic verses and diabolical pitch-bent riffs.

A haunting, lurking intro makes one thing clear: this won't be a jolly walk in the park. Once the full band kicks in with the weight of a jackhammer, a claustrophobic, earth-cracking riff paves the way for Erni to foretell impending doom. The song refuses to settle into a regular arrangement, its guitar parts growing more glitchy and fractured as it builds like a ticking bomb toward detonation. Only once does the listener catch a breath: "Our spirits reborn deep in a heatwave," Fabienne realizes, an eye-of-the-hurricane moment before the track ignites again.

Bringing the heat is Adrienne Cowan (SEVEN SPIRES),whose guttural performance leaves nothing behind but scorched earth, colliding with Fabienne's crystalline power to turn the song's central conflict — guilt, false hope, and the urge to burn it all down — into a truly visceral experience.

"Heatwave" is out now on all streaming platforms, with an accompanying music video available below.

Erni says: "Adrienne's versatility never ceases to amaze me. Her powerful screams, expressive clean vocals, and unique artistic voice made this collaboration something truly special. We felt that this song needed exactly the kind of intensity and character that only she can bring."

Cowan adds: "Impending doom, Phrygian dominant melodies, nasty riffs (and I mean that in the best way)… ILLUMISHADE cooked a feast of many of my favorite modern metal flavours with 'Heatwave', and the pleasure of being Fabienne's dark counterpart at the end of the world was the cherry on top. They're all such wonderfully skilled and hardworking musicians, and I'm very happy to be part of this song. Thanks guys!"

Hailing from Switzerland, ethereal modern metal outfit ILLUMISHADE are about to embark on their most ambitious chapter yet.

Founded in Zürich in 2019 by Erni and Wolf, ILLUMISHADE quickly took on a life of their own. Their debut album "Eclyptic: Wake Of Shadows" (2020) spectacularly showcased the core elements of the group: a sweeping blend of cinematic grandeur, majestic melodies and virtuoso musicianship that was entirely their own, brought to life in no small part by the orchestral imagination of film composer Mirjam Skal.

Over time the band started refining that initial vision towards a more modern and focused sound, without ever losing their unmistakable signature. The release of their sophomore album "Another Side Of You" (2024) sent them on their way to touring across Europe and the U.S., winning over audiences' hearts along the way.

Come 2026, ILLUMISHADE step boldly into a new era as a fully independent band. Their latest singles "Paralyzed" and "Heatwave" stand tall as a blueprint for all things to come - melancholic yet hard-hitting, boasting a bold sonic identity to match the band's genuine originality.

In a 2024 interview with Cryptic Rock, Fabienne spoke about the differences between her role in ELUVEITIE and that in ILLUMISHADE, particularly when it comes to performing live. She said: "It definitely does feel different, because with ELUVEITIE, we dive into this Celtic world. Now with ILLUMISHADE, it's a completely different atmosphere, which I love. I like this versatile thing where I can just be creative in different subjects. That's actually very nice. Of course, it does feel different in that sense when you're on stage with something that you created from scratch.

"I created ILLUMISHADE together with Jonas Wolf; we were there from the beginning. We shape it, and we do with it whatever we want. That's, of course, very special if you see that people sing the songs as well when we play them. It's, like, 'Whoa.' With ELUVEITIE, for me, I love diving into this Celtic world and giving this interpretation to these ancient words and so on. I absolutely love that too. So, I'm happy I have both."

ILLUMISHADE is: