Statement from Daniel Änghede. After releasing the Aurora in 2020 there was no doubts ISON would keep going. But I did not know in what form yet. Eventually I would find the spark again and I started to get a vision for what I wanted this album to be. Stars & Embers started to take form! I reached out to Lisa Cuthbert because she sung on the previous album and I wanted a connection between Stars & Embers and Aurora. However, when she sent me the first draft of the song Horizons I knew that she'd be perfect as the new main vocalist. Luckily she accepted. She has a deep understanding of what I am doing musically and we work very well together. Her vocal range and ability to layer her voice like an instrument is out of this world! There's still room for guest vocalists in ISON though. It adds a new dimension to the album. This time I asked my friend Mikael Stanne (Dark Tranquillity/The Halo Effect) to duet with Lisa. I haven't used a male guest vocalist since Neige of Alcest joined on the album Inner-Space. Mikael contributed with beautiful lyrics for Peregrination and his gothic vocals fit perfectly together with Lisa's. Radiant Void features another familiar voice: circle&wind has really outdone herself this time, not only with the lyrics she wrote but also with the vocal melodies she crafted. Her ways to put emotion into words is astonishing and it's a great honor for me to work with her again. I discovered Dimming through the local newspaper last year and instantly fell in love with her voice. I reached out to her and asked if she'd like to sing on the opening track of the album, Luminiscent Reverie. Her dreamy voice sets the mood for the album perfectly! The album took me almost two years to complete and it's been a rollercoaster of emotions but I can easily say that it's the best ISON album to date. I sincerely hope that the listener will find a little bit of peace while spinning the album in these times of turmoil.
