THE HALO EFFECT share music video for new single ‘March Of The Unheard’

HALO EFFECTthe project with five former members of the Swedish metal band IN FLAMES — Jesper Strömblad (guitar), Daniel Svensson (drums), Peter Iwers (stall), Niclas Engelin (guitar) and Mikael Stanne (vocal) — releases his second album, “March Of The Unheard”on January 10, 2025, via Records of nuclear explosions.

After the massive success of HALO EFFECT‘s critically acclaimed debut “Days of the Lost”, “March Of The Unheard” delivers a triumphant continuation of the band’s signature sound. Packed with soaring melodies and electrifying energy, the new LP promises to exceed fans’ expectations.

The official music video for the second single from the album, the “March Of The Unheard” title number, can be seen below. The visually stunning video matches the intensity of the song, blending dark, atmospheric imagery with explosive footage, delivering a cinematic experience that complements the band’s signature sound.

The angel comments: “This song is based on the theme tune for the intro to all of our ninety six shows. I just got the idea to start the whole album with this theme and build a whole song around it. Mikael took the whole song to another level with his lyrics, which illuminate the need for our society to hear the voices of the unheard – the powerless.”

He continues: “We’re all suckers for melancholic melodies in an uptempo beat, and add some harmonies to that and we get a beautiful HELLO song. Working with the mighty Gothenburg Marching Band’Gota Lion‘ just blew our minds both in the studio and live… Damn, they are powerful!”

“March Of The Unheard” will be made available in the following formats:

– CD Jewel case
– CD Digi, including three bonus tracks, 24-page booklet, UV spot varnish and parchment paper **
– 1 LP Crystal Clear (Retail)
– 1 LP Curacao/Ocean Blue/White Splatter (NB shop)
– 1 LP Curacao (band store)
– 1 LP Yellow (Sweden Rock) + 1 bonus track *
– 1 LP Light Green (Nordics)

All vinyls come with 24-page booklet, UV spot varnish and parchment paper

“March Of The Unheard” track list:

01. Conspiracy to defraud
02. Detonate
03. Our channel to the dark
04. Cruel perception
05. What we become
06. This curse of silence
07. March of the unheard
08. Forever adrift
09. Between directions
10. A death that becomes us
11. The focal point
12. Coda

Bonus numbers:

* “not yet broken”
** “The Path of Fierce Resistance”
** “The Defiant”
** “Become Surrender”

Shortly after “March Of The Unheard”s release, HALO EFFECT will embark on his first ever headlining tour of Europe. Industrial outfit and labelmates PAIN will be a special guest on this tour and to round out this amazing package, melo death star shot from Finland BLOOD RED HOUR GLASS will be there as support.

In a recent interview with Finland’s Chaos, Stop stated about “March Of The Unheard”: “It’s been done for a while. Yeah, I think that’s the hardest part for our labels, to squeeze things in and have enough space to promote and secure, that everyone knows about it. So we pushed the release to the beginning of next year… But I’m incredibly proud of it. Niclas and Jesper have written some incredible songs that are very — like a different level of confidence, I think. For the first album, we just said, “Yeah, let’s see what can happen.” It feels like a more confident band. Everyone knows exactly what to do now, so the album sounds great.”

Stop was also asked about Strömbladwho has struggled with addiction for more than a decade will be a part of HALO EFFECT‘s lineup when he and his bandmates return to the road or if THE PERSECUTED‘s Patrick Jensen will continue to fill him. Mikael said: “Probably (Jensen will continue to tour with us). Whenever Jesper want, we want him, so we are always ready. If he makes it, he will join us. But it’s always up to him. And we always said, ‘Yes, we are there. Jensenwill always be there. If Jesper want to play, we’re here.’ So that’s kind of the deal we made early.”

Asked in an interview with A Swedish Fika With about the musical direction of the new HALO EFFECT songs, Peter said: “I think it’s definitely the same type of music, but obviously as an artist you don’t want to repeat yourself. But I think what we did on the first one, we just went in and took the ideas and what was written and made it into songs And without thinking: ‘This is going to sound like this or like that.’ And now with the second album, we know what it’s going to sound like, but we kept doing it the same way HALO EFFECT. It won’t be a big change in another direction. We keep trying to do what we started doing.”

In August 2024, Peter told Australia’s “Everblack” podcast about HALO EFFECThis thinking while writing the new material: “What we’ve done with this one and the last one was basically we just went into the studio with some ideas. Niclas had many, many ideas, some finished songs, and then he invited us, everyone else, into the songwriting process. So we went in without a clear plan of what it was going to sound like, but it’s clear it’s in the fingers and it’s in Mikael‘s voice. Whatever comes out is the way it sounds now. So the next record is – of course you always want to evolve, but it’s no different; it’s definitely the same type of genre. And as I said, we went in and played what we wanted. And Niclas had written one herd of songs along with Jesperand we went into the studio on this one and just did our thing on them.”

He continued: “A lot of times some bands evolve all the time and it’s always different from record (to record). But I think we feel more comfortable than we did before. We had no pressure to do ( the first one HALO EFFECT album) ‘Days Of The Lost’and we had no pressure (on the follow-up album). But at the same time we have been out and playing, we are together in an even stronger way than we were before. So it’s definitely the same type of music. But it’s—I don’t know; it’s hard to describe.”

Also in August 2023, Stop told Finland Chaos zine sore HALO EFFECTs upcoming LP: “It’s done and it sounds great. But yeah, we were (originally) going to do an EP (instead of a full-length album) — we kind of had that plan — but then we realized, “Ah, maybe not.” … So it’s been – not stressful, but we did very over a short period of time, which ended up being great, just because it became a much more confident album, I think. It’s very focused, and you can probably tell — at least from the people I’ve played it for — that while the first one was like, “Hey, let’s figure out what we want to do,” while this one is kind of like, ‘That’s exactly what we’re going to do.'” He added, “So it’s going to be interesting. I can’t wait for people to hear it because I’m incredibly proud of it.”

Asked about the other one HALO EFFECT album is a “continuation” of “Days of the Lost”which came out in 2022, Stop said, “Yes, I think so. I think Niclas and Jesper were more confident in their songwriting, where it’s like, “Yeah, this is going to work.” And there’s some cool experimentation on the album too, but some of the songs are just straight up like there’s no question. It’s just so easy and so to the point, you know. So it’s kind of funny when I get the demo version of a song and I start thinking about lyrics and vocals, it kind of just makes sense. I just know it by heart. It’s that easy. Which is – it’s weird, but it’s just like, it speaks to me in a way where I go like, ‘Okay, I know exactly what I’m going to do and I can finish it in a few days.’ That’s how it feels sometimes. You just hear a song and you’re like, ‘Yeah, I already know that. I know exactly what to do. And it’s going to be great.”

In February 2024, HALO EFFECT released the official music video for the song “Become Surrender”. The track, which has been a permanent part of HALO EFFECT‘s live shows for a while now, will not appear on the band’s upcoming second album.

HALO EFFECT debuted “Become Surrender”which was recorded simultaneously with “Days of the Lost”during his Swedish tour in February 2023.

In May 2023, HALO EFFECT released a visualizer for the song “Path of Fierce Resistance”. The track, which was previously released as a Japanese exclusive on “Days of the Lost”was finally made available in the rest of the world.

“Days of the Lost” entered the Official Chart in Sweden in the summer of 2022 at position No. 1. This was believed to be the first time a debut LP by a metal act had ever topped the chart in Sweden in its first week of release. “Days of the Lost” also landed at No. 6 in Germany.

Image credit: Linda Florin