Venetian experimental neo-psych outfit Karma Voyage returns with their haunting new single and video, “Surrender to the Illusion”, taken from their forthcoming album Lands Beyond Eden, due October 17, 2025, via Icy Cold Records and Shyrec. The track is a sweeping, elemental meditation—equal parts lament and liberation—anchored by a powerful martial drumbeat and ascendant guitars that surge like flame through fog.
The song opens with a sense of ritual. A steady, marching rhythm propels the listener into a trance-like state as baritone vocals hover between invocation and confession. In “Surrender to the Illusion,” the subject stages a raw and vulnerable confession—an act of inner surrender unfolding within the folds of a whispered prayer. The lyrics move like a ritual of atonement, where the protagonist pleads to be guided in the attempt to discern what is real from what is illusory. The invocation centers not only on a person but on a presence—an embodiment of truth, connection, and salvation. “Surrender to the Illusion” feels at once grounded and celestial: a battle hymn for the soul’s quiet rebellion. Luca Castellaro’s voice drifts through the haze—brooding, monastic, and deeply human—before rising in moments of pure transcendence, a monk-like cry that cuts through the rhythmic storm. During these stripped-down interludes, when only the drums remain, the performance becomes devotional—part prayer, part exorcism.
As the song unfolds, guitars swell in a mesmerizing ascent—melodies spiraling like smoke, electrified and urgent, evoking the static tension before a lightning strike. The interplay between restraint and release mirrors the lyrical themes: light battling illusion, truth flickering at the edge of perception. By the song’s final crescendo, the listener is left trembling between serenity and catharsis.
The video for “Surrender to the Illusion” is a study in contrasts—fire and shadow, ritual and reflection. Shot outdoors at night, the band performs encircled by flames and barren branches, each member illuminated against the void. Smoke coils through the darkness as sparks dance across faces and instruments, echoing the song’s themes of transformation and transcendence. The elemental imagery evokes both pagan ceremony and monastic meditation, transforming the act of performance into something sacred and raw.
The result is brooding, intense, and cinematic—a continuation of Karma Voyage’s fascination with the thin veil between illusion and enlightenment. Every frame feels carved from chiaroscuro, the warmth of fire contending with the cold expanse of night.
Watch the premiere of “Surrender to the Illusion” below:
Karma Voyage is an experimental neo-psychedelic band with strong new-wave influences, formed in late 2019 by Luca Castellaro (guitars/vocals) and Giuseppe Brunetti (guitars), later joined by Dennis Ercole (bass), Stefano Anoè (drums), and Giovanni Bertiato (keyboards). Their debut EP, preceded by the single “Untold Desires”, was released on October 18, 2021 via Icy Cold Records, earning acclaim within the underground neo-psych scene. Following their full-length Lights in Forgotten Places (2023), the band toured across Europe, refining their cinematic and introspective sound. Their forthcoming album Lands Beyond Eden marks a bold new phase—darker, more distorted, and charged with spiritual intensity.
Lands Beyond Eden, due October 17, 2025, via Icy Cold Records and Shyrec. Listen to “Surrender to the Illusion” via Spotify here.
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