An Abstract Illusion welcome LUKAS BACKESTRÖM on bass/vocals as a permanent member! The band comments: "We're so excited to announce this great addition. Lukas has been a pivotal part of our live show since 2023 and this further solidifies our line-up. " 1/4

Ruining peoples’ mood since 2007.

We’re super excited to once again return to the Netherlands and co-headline this show with the excellent Persefone and IHLO! Happy to be joined by the other great acts, especially our friends in Feather Mountain, and get to celebrate Progspace.

STOCKHOLM // 02.05.2026 📸: Simon Vindroth

Some wonderful words regarding our show at Stengade in Copenhagen a week ago. devilution.dk/anmeldelser/... 📸 @blichstitch

MÜNCHEN! First time in your beautiful city and in Germany and we had an amazing time. Can’t wait to come back! Hamburg tomorrow and last date of this amazing run with the boys in DISILLUSION! Let’s make it count!

THANK YOU VIENNA! An amazing night at Viper room and our first time in Austria. As a famous Austrian (almost) once said: WE’LL BE BACK! Tonight, Munich and Backstage 📸 @r.neumond

KØBENHAVN! 🇩🇰🔥 What an amazing, packed, sweaty show yesterday! Thanks to Feather Mountain and DISILLUSION, and thanks to Spillestedet Stengade for having us. Until next time. Kamelåså! 📸 Simon Vindroth

Thanks Stockholm! Sold-out show tonight in Copenhagen!

OSLO! Vilken jäääävla kväll! 🔥🇳🇴 First time but definitely not the last time. And at long last we finally get to combine with DISILLUSION who put on an amazing show. Stockholm tomorrow and The Node! 🇸🇪

Thank you Trondheim for welcoming us to your beautiful city! What a crowd, and what an amazing start of the tour. Thanks to Terravia, Rockheim and Trondheim By! Oslo tomorrow at SALT Langhuset together with Disillusion and Terravia.

Un poco de @anabstractillusion.bsky.social y a dormir. Ale, buenas noches. tidal.com/track/466008...

Tour starts in a week! Have you gotten your tickets yet? Otherwise Karl from An Abstract Illusion will be mighty sad. Tickets in bio.

Our Spring tour with mighty DISILLUSION starts next week. We can’t wait to get out on the road again. Get your tickets now before they’re gone!

Even more low tickets warning for our Spring shows. München and Hamburg join Copenhagen, which is approaching its absolute last tickets left, so get them while you can. Tickets: bnds.us/fbn9tb Less than 3 weeks left, we can't wait to see all of you on the road!

What a killer album - with several passages that stop me in my tracks when I listen. For my money, I prefer it to the new one, but happy to be disagreed with! #metalsky @anabstractillusion.bsky.social anabstractillusion.bandcamp.com/album/woe

You better watch out. UPCOMING SHOWS: 30/04 Trondheim, NO 01/05 Oslo, NO 02/05 Stockholm, SE 03/05 Copenhagen, DK 07/05 Vienna, AT 08/05 München, DE 09/05 Hamburg, DE Tickets: bnds.us/fbn9tb

Thanks to The Progressive Subway for the honor. Do you agree?

banger, from start to finish~

IEM’s are black magic.

[TOUR ANNOUNCEMENT - CANADA] We’ll embark on a mini-tour in Canada, together with special guests The Anchoret and support Voidchaser and Omnivide. If you want to experience some of the very best progressive metal that Canada has to offer, this is the tour for you! Tickets: bnds.us/fbn9tb

MY 2️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ FAVORITE SONGS 🎶 (No particular ranking) 1️⃣6️⃣3️⃣ AN ABSTRACT ILLUSION 🇸🇪 « Tear Down This Holy Mountain » @anabstractillusion.bsky.social

Few tickets left for our gig in Copenhagen. Tickets for the other shows are going fast as well. Have you secured your tickets yet? bnds.us/fbn9tb

You have decided, and “The Sleeping City” has won best Extreme Prog record in the Metal Storm Awards 2025! We’re so grateful to everyone who’s supported us, means the world to us, especially considering how much good prog was released last year.

We’re also nominated in the Metal Storm Awards 2025, in the categories Extreme Progressive Metal and Best Album Artwork. Voting open until 28th February.

STOCKHOLM! We are playing at The Node 2nd May together with Disillusion and Quantum. We’re finally returning after 6 years. Tickets on sale now.

We’re nominated in five (5!) categories in The Progspace Awards 2025! What a huge honor to be alongside such fine bands and musicians. Voting open until 28th February. theprogspace.com/tpsawards2025/

Thrilled to be catching @anabstractillusion.bsky.social live for the first time months head of when I initially thought I'd be able to! Show happens to coincide with the day I was planning to be stopping through Oslo en route to Svalbard. Happy birthday to me!!

💜

And here's the 2025 AOTY grid, as is tradition:

TOUR DATES 2026 30/4 🇳🇴 Trondheim - Rockheim 1/5 🇳🇴 Oslo - Salt Langhuset* 3/5 🇩🇰 Copenhagen - Spillestedet Stengade* 7/5 🇦🇹 Vienna - Viper Room* 8/5 🇩🇪 Munich - Backstage* 9/5 🇩🇪 Hamburg - Headcrash* 22/8 🇨🇦 Montréal - Progstorm Festival * w/ Disillusion More dates TBA

First rehearsal of 2026, getting to know some new tunes and new gear. What songs do you want to hear live this year?

Same brother, same. In other news, we made Angry Metal Guy’s aggregate AOTY list!

"Easily one of the best modern bands in this genre." Honored to be on this list, featured alongside Rivers Of Nihil, Alkaloid, Hath, Archspire, Persefone and many more great bands. Thanks Forgemaster for featuring "Woe"!

🔝MY ALBUMS OF 2025⚡️ Here is my complete top 50. 2025 was fantastic, and 2026 is already shaping up to be exceptional. In 2026, as in 2025, follow @kmanriffs.bsky.social and all the wonderful people who make this community the best place to find great music.

Re-visiting my Top 10 of 2025. #1: An Abstract Illusion - "The Sleeping City" released October 17th #Sweden #progmetal #atmosphericmetal #progrock #blackmetal #deathmetal #nowplaying

Karl is featured here as one of the best guitarists of 2025! theprogmind.com/2026/01/06/t...

@alexeckmanlawn.bsky.social with the Artwork of the Year for his work on 'The Sleeping City'. Well deserved! theprogmind.com/2026/01/05/t...

2025

An Abstract Illusion just made an incredible album with twists and turns blending 80s synths with crushing riffs and ethereal clean sections. Easily my album of the year.

#12: An Abstract Illusion - The Sleeping City Progressive atmospheric death metal Wasn't sure with this one at first. Following up their last album, Woe, with a synth-laden, Vangelis inspired sound and a strong focus on vocals is bold - and the right decision. It's not Woe. It's The Sleeping City.

⬆️🎶 ☢️☣️ 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣5️⃣ ☣️☢️ 🎶⬆️ PROGRESSIVE DEATH METAL: Huge Year again in 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣5️⃣! This is my TOP 5️⃣ 1️⃣AN ABSTRACT ILLUSION 🇸🇪 2️⃣IN MOURNING 🇸🇪 3️⃣BLINDFOLDED AND LED TO THE WOODS 🇳🇿 4️⃣RIVERS OF NIHIL 🇺🇸 5️⃣FALLUJAH 🇺🇸

In no particular order, here are my top 20 albums for 2025. If I didn't list something you liked it's because I didn't listen to it or because it stinks. Pink Floyd at Pompeii gets an honorable mention here, it's new but not new new, so I left it off. Local H's reworked Ham Fisted is also good.

Merry Christmas here are my top 10 albums of the year

Also my favorite albums and soundtracks (unordered)

My 2025 metal albums of the year! It's been a year packed with so many bands across many styles making great albums. Each of the top five will get their own post :) #metal #metalsky #musicsky

heeeell yeah

AN ABSTRACT ILLUSION 🇸🇪 « The Sleeping City » Entering this sleeping city is like a waking dream for any fan of progressive Death Metal. Incredibly rich, technical, complex, but above all sublime and captivating at every moment. A new work of art by one of the most brilliant bands of recent years.

🔝MY ALBUMS OF 2025⚡️4