For over two decades, The Old Dead Tree have remained a cornerstone of France’s dark progressive metal scene, uniting gothic melancholy with progressive intensity. Now, the band reveals “Feel Alive Again”, the first single from their forthcoming EP “London Sessions”, recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios.
“London Sessions” will be released on all platforms November 28.
Pre-save: https://orcd.co/todtlondonsessions
Opening the EP, “Feel Alive Again” embodies both intimacy and grandeur. The song begins in a confessional tone before ascending into a soaring crescendo, where Manuel Munoz’s emotive vocals intertwine with layered guitars and a powerful rhythm section. At once airy and direct, it balances vulnerability and strength, drawing on the codes of stadium rock while remaining firmly rooted in the band’s dark progressive identity.
The track was produced and engineered by François-Maxime Boutault (Behemoth, Dagoba) and mastered by Tony Lindgren (Opeth, Paradise Lost).
To accompany the release, The Old Dead Tree present a “live in studio” video, capturing the band’s performance of the song in a studio setting. Directed, shot, and edited by long-time collaborator Julien Metternich, who has created many of the band’s previous music videos and photoshoots, the video places the focus squarely on the band’s chemistry and raw presence.
Watch the video for “Feel Alive Again“:
Tracklist:
1. Feel Alive Again (03:43)
2. Time Has Come (03:49)
3. By The Way (London Sessions 2025) (04:29)
4. What Else Could We’ve Said (London Sessions 2025) (05:39)
Full runtime: 18:42
Country: France (FR)
Genre: Gothic Metal/Rock, Progressive Metal/Rock
FFO: Katatonia, Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride
Spearheading the French dark prog metal scene for more than 20 years, The Old Dead Tree have created a unique universe combining extreme music and dark rock-pop, sublimated by Manuel Munoz’s exceptional and versatile vocals.
Just as the band had released their first EP, “The Blossom”, in 1999, drummer Frédéric Guillemot took his own life. The shock profoundly scarred the other three members of the band, and formed the basis of the concept for their debut album, “The Nameless Disease”.
Following its release in 2003 on Season Of Mist, the immediate success of this seminal album led the band to hit the road with Paradise Lost, Opeth and Katatonia, introducing their music to metalheads across Europe.
Two critically acclaimed albums followed, “The Perpetual Motion” (2005) and “The Water Fields” (2007), making The Old Dead Tree a pillar of the French metal scene and a reference point for progressive metal in Europe.
By the end of 2008, just as work had begun on a fourth album, the wear and tear of the necessary personal investment proved too much for some of the band to bear. The Old Dead Tree officially split up in 2009.
Over the following years, the musicians moved apart geographically and became involved in other musical projects (Penumbra, Arkan, Ommatidia, Lux Incerta...), but their solid friendship never wavered.
In 2013, The Old Dead Tree briefly reunited to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their album “The Nameless Disease” with a mini European tour that included stops at HELLFEST and MOTOCULTOR.
A few years later, following the Covid 19 crisis and the general questioning that it provoked, the members of the band started considering to reunite for good. After several months of doubt and discussion, the decision is finally taken to write and record a new song.
In the spring of 2023, the popularity of the new single “Terrified” and the band’s high-profile appearance at HELLFEST paved the way for The Old Dead Tree’s long-lasting comeback.
By the beginning of 2024, while composing its first album in 17 years, The Old Dead Tree is offered the opportunity to record an EP at the world’s most prestigious music studio: the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London (The Beatles, Pink Floyd, U2, Radiohead…). Right after this unique experience, the band quickly dived back into the writing and recording processes for the album “Second Thoughts” which was released by the end of 2024.
In the spring 2025, as The Old Dead Tree toured France with KLONE and achieved the production of the 4 tracks recorded in Abbey Road Studios to give birth to the EP “London Sessions”.
Line-up:
Manuel Munoz — Vocals
Nicolas Chevrollier — Guitars & Backing Vocals
Nicolas Cornolo — Guitars
Gilles Moinet — Bass Guitar
Raphaël Antheaume — Drums
Recording Studio:
Abbey Road Studios, London, United Kingdom.
Production Credits:
Produced, engineered & mixed by François-Maxime Boutault at Les Liens du Son.
Mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios.
Guest Musician:
Raphaël Verguin (Psygnosis) — Cello
Cover Art:
Henri Lejeune (exclamations.fr)
Photography:
Band & studio photos taken by Julien Metternich.