Life is often comprised of our reactions. Often, negatives can be turned into positives through the way we look at situations or how hard we are willing to work for what we love. At least, that’s the philosophy that Greenville, SC-based rock band State of Illusion has adopted.
Though the rock act has had many successes, including memorable performances with artists such as Staind (hand-selected by vocalist Aaron Lewis), Chevelle, Flaw, Smile Empty Soul, Austin John Winkler (ex-Hinder vocalist), Like a Storm, Failure Anthem, and Stitched Up Heart, along with functions for Disturbed, Killswitch Engage, Lacuna Coil, etc., State of Illusion has faced more than its fair share of adversity.
After releasing their most recent studio album, 'Aphelion' (self-produced, self-engineered, and self-released), State of Illusion took another dose of their well-documented bad luck (see the documentary "One More Song – A Decade of State of Illusion" from their brand new DVD, 'State of Illusion – Live') through the loss of core-members. Though beautifully crafting 'Aphelion' with only two members (Jacob Porter on vocals, guitar, piano, pedal steel, engineering, and editing and Josh Breland on bass, drums, guitar, and piano) and seeing a top 100 worldwide rock chart release, the immediate post-'Aphelion' lineup was not meant to be.
What began as a rag-tag group of hired-guns pulled from other local acts to fill in on an opening show for an early musical influence in the band Flaw, a mixture of hard work, dedication, positive outlooks, and a love for the music turned bad luck into the strongest line-up State of Illusion has ever had. Former guitarist Cameron Price, drummer Bryce Chism, and Solarist vocalist/guitarist Tom Carden on bass stepped up to help Porter when State of Illusion needed it most. This line-up continued to assist State of Illusion throughout 2017 as, one by one, these temporary members dedicated themselves as permanent members of the band. While filling in admirably, Carden knew that he needed set his focus back on Solarist and allow room for a permanent bassist to cement themselves into the lineup. His parting gift was former Solarist bassist Brandon Rodgers.
Once the 4 piece was solidified, State of Illusion sought the creative minds of Silent Flight Productions’ director Erez Bader (The Contortionist, Veil of Maya, The Dear Hunter) and VFX supervisor and producer Casey Crescenzo (vocalist of The Dear Hunter) to bring a visual representation of their single “Blind” (remixed by Greg Macklin of Ordinance) to life. The moody result is a perfect fresh start for State of Illusion, who plan to use this opportunity to introduce 'Aphelion' to a new set of listeners they couldn’t reach before.
'Aphelion' stands out amongst its contemporaries. The album is complete, in every sense of the word, with its many textures and range of sonic landscapes. With soaring anthems, such as the radio-ready singles, “Blind” and "Find Yourself," to heavy-yet-melodic tracks, "Over" and "The Price You Pay," to quiet moments, highlighted in the reflective "Reach the End," 'Aphelio'n covers a full spectrum of emotion.
State of Illusion, seasoned with experience, a solid and energetic line-up, a reinvigorated approach, and having met success on the road for the past two years, have just released their first DVD, 'State of Illusion - Live', and are hard at work writing the highly-anticipated follow-up to 'Aphelion.'
