HELLUCINATION UNLEASH “PETRIFIED” — A DARK AND CRUSHING FIRST CHAPTER OF UPCOMING ALBUM PENUMBRAL
Italian Death Metal Force Returns With a Modern Blend of Brutality, Technicality, and Atmospheric Darkness
Release Date: September 1, 2026
Genre: Death Metal
For Fans Of: Gojira, Whitechapel, Meshuggah, Cult of Luna
ROME, ITALY — Italian modern death metal force Hellucination officially unleash their new single “Petrified” , September 1, 2026. The track serves as the first single from the band's upcoming full-length album, Penumbral , opening the door to a darker, more introspective chapter in the band's evolution.
Built on crushing riffs, extreme aggression, intricate rhythmic structures, and atmospheric textures, “Petrified” offers a powerful introduction to the sonic world of Penumbral . Drawing from death metal, black metal, progressive metal, djent, hardcore, and post-metal, Hellucination have crafted a sound that balances sheer brutality with emotional depth and experimentation.
“Petrified” is the beginning of a much larger story.
Penumbral : A Story of Mourning, Obsession, and Letting Go
Penumbral is conceived as a true concept album, built around an original narrative exploring grief, obsession, the dissolution of identity, and ultimately the necessity of letting go.
The story follows two people connected by an exceptionally deep bond. When one dies, the survivor becomes consumed by grief, unable to accept the loss. That overwhelming mourning mysteriously disrupts the deceased's passage into the afterlife, bringing them back to the world of the living through an unnatural form of reincarnation.
At first, their reunion appears to be a miracle. But as time passes, the consequences of defying the natural order become impossible to ignore. The deceased is no longer truly part of the living world, while the survivor begins to recognize the distance and transformation separating them.
Ultimately, the natural cycle must be restored.
The deceased finds peace beyond life, while the survivor learns that true healing requires accepting loss, releasing grief, and moving forward. In this sense, Penumbral becomes a journey through mourning and obsession that culminates in symbolic death, acceptance, and rebirth.
A Sound Built From Darkness and Experimentation
Musically, Penumbral represents several years of creative development as Hellucination searched for a sound capable of bringing together the different sides of their musical identity.
The band's influences stretch from the crushing intensity and aggression of Gojira and Whitechapel to the technical complexity and atmospheric approach of Meshuggah and Cult of Luna . Rather than simply replicating those influences, Hellucination use them as foundations for a sound where heaviness, emotional depth, rhythmic complexity, and experimentation coexist.
Compared with their previous album, Multiverse , Penumbral pushes the band into darker and more introspective territory, mirroring the record's central themes.
The album's production was shaped through collaboration with Stefano Morabito at 1Gth Cellar Studio , resulting in a massive, contemporary production designed to preserve the personality and authenticity at the heart of Hellucination's music.
A Decade-Plus of Evolution
Formed in Rome in October 2010, Hellucination began as a four-piece featuring Massimiliano on bass, Andrea on drums, and Lorenzo Sicuro and Francesco Xella on guitars. The band quickly began writing original material and establishing themselves on the Roman metal circuit.
After several lineup changes, the band released their debut three-track EP, Ruins , in March 2013, followed by their first European tour through Slovakia and Poland.
Their first full-length album, Katabasis , arrived in March 2015. In 2017, Hellucination signed with Rome-based label Time To Kill Records and began work on their second full-length. That album, Multiverse , was released in May 2018, preceded by the single “Overhumanist.” Silvia Pistolesi joined the band on bass during the same period.
The years that followed saw Hellucination continue performing throughout Italy and Europe while developing partnerships with various gear and string brands. In 2020, the band also launched a Kickstarter campaign with Nebulae to fund their first post-pandemic concert. The campaign reached its goal in only six days, leading to their November 2021 return to the stage at Traffic Live Club in Rome.
In 2022, Hellucination joined Nebulae for the Pulses from the Multiverse 2022 Tour , performing across Italy and San Marino.
Now, the band enters its next chapter with Penumbral .
Hellucination Are:
Francesco Xella — Vocals & Guitar
Lorenzo Sicuro — Guitar
Silvia Pistolesi — Bass
Andrea Scimò — Drums
All songs written, arranged, and produced by Hellucination.
Mixed & Mastered by: Stefano Morabito at 1Gth Cellar Studio
“Aeternum Vale” Recorded by: Leonardo Bellavista at Void Studio
Spoken Word on “Joy and Sorrow”: Nicole Pyrathon
Visualizer: Motus Insaniam
Artwork: Adam Burke / Nightjar Illustration
LISTEN TO “PETRIFIED” NOW
Watch the official visualizer:
Listen / Pre-Save “Petrified”:
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/hellucination/petrified?ref=release
PRE-ORDER PENUMBRAL
Physical CD and vinyl editions are available through the band's official webstore:
https://hellucination.net/shop/
FOLLOW HELLUCINATION
LinkTree:
https://linktr.ee/hellucination
Contact: hellucinationroma@gmail.com
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