The Belgian atmospheric metalcore band’s interconnected four-track release traces grief, distance, and acceptance through one continuous emotional narrative.
Belgian atmospheric metalcore band Ice Sealed Eyes has revealed Tape 1: Far Away, its first release since signing with Arising Empire. The four-song EP is currently available to pre-save, although the announcement does not provide a release date.
Designed as more than a collection of separate tracks, Tape 1: Far Away follows a connected emotional progression centered on grief, isolation, betrayal, and eventual acceptance. Its opening songs—“Stay Still,” “To Realise,” and “The Weight Of Loss”—flow into one another, allowing the EP’s narrative and musical tension to develop without clear breaks between chapters.
The project combines ambient passages with heavy guitar work, forceful drums, and melodic vocals. That contrast supports a story positioned between two opposing impulses: holding onto a damaged relationship and accepting that it may no longer be possible to repair.
“Stay Still” begins the sequence from a place of emotional separation. The song portrays two people witnessing one another’s decline while struggling to communicate across an expanding distance. Its shifts between restrained atmosphere and heavier sections mirror the tension between shared pain and the inability to reconnect.
“To Realise” continues the narrative through a more repetitive and hypnotic structure. According to the release announcement, its recurring lyrical patterns represent the helplessness of watching someone move knowingly toward decisions that cannot be reversed. Love remains present within the story, but it becomes increasingly entangled with fear and despair.
The emotional pressure reaches its most confrontational point on “The Weight Of Loss.” Memories, broken trust, and self-examination replace the earlier sense of paralysis as the narrative moves away from reconciliation. Rather than offering a simple resolution or relying on apologies, the song brings the sequence toward an acceptance shaped by what has already been lost.
Although the tracks were constructed to form a continuous listening experience, the band also intended each song to work independently. Recurring melodies and evolving dynamics connect the individual pieces, giving listeners additional context when the EP is played from beginning to end.
Tape 1: Far Away marks Ice Sealed Eyes’ next step after the independently released album ALTAR. The band has built an international audience through its previous material and European touring, while also appearing at Euroblast Festival.
Ice Sealed Eyes has shared stages with Falling In Reverse, Unprocessed, Amenra, Brutus, Resolve, and Hypno5e. Those appearances placed the Belgian group alongside artists representing several corners of modern heavy music, from progressive and atmospheric metal to contemporary metalcore.
The Arising Empire partnership now gives Ice Sealed Eyes a new platform for its combination of cinematic production, emotional songwriting, and heavy instrumentation. Rather than introducing that chapter with a standalone track, the band has chosen an interconnected release that places its storytelling at the center.
The title Tape 1: Far Away also suggests a broader sequence, though the provided announcement does not confirm additional installments or explain whether future releases will continue the format. For now, the EP serves as the first documented release of the band’s Arising Empire era.
Ice Sealed Eyes also has a run of live appearances listed, including a Tramfest date in Troyes and multiple shows supporting REVNOIR. The source material does not specify the year for the February dates, so they are preserved below without assigning an unconfirmed year.
Tour Dates
09/04 — Troyes, FR — Tramfest (REVNOIR support)
02/04 — Lyon, FR — Club Transbo (REVNOIR support)
02/05 — Strasbourg, FR — La Laiterie (REVNOIR support)
02/06 — Lille, FR — The Black Lab (REVNOIR support)
02/07 — Brussels, BE — Botanique (REVNOIR support)
02/10 — Lorient, FR — Hydrophone (REVNOIR support)
02/11 — Nantes, FR — Le Ferrailleur (REVNOIR support)
02/12 — Bordeaux, FR — Rock School Barbey (REVNOIR support)
02/13 — Toulouse, FR — Le Rex (REVNOIR support)
02/18 — Reims, FR — La Cartonnerie (REVNOIR support)
02/19 — Rouen, FR — Le 106 (REVNOIR support)
Release Information
Artist: Ice Sealed Eyes
Release: Tape 1: Far Away
Format: Four-song EP
Label: Arising Empire
Availability: Currently available to pre-save
Additional Information
Previous Album: ALTAR
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