Out Now! OÏKOUMEN "Resilience": epic/progressive metal blending symphonic depth with modern edge!

Oikoumen is a human-centered orchestral progressive symphonic project. It shares visceral emotions, often dark, always committed, through intense, embodied music, where the orchestra serves emotion. The project is led by Élie Veux on composition and guitar, Laura Mazard on lyrics, vocals and artistic direction, and Yaël Febvray on bass and synthesizers. The first album "Dystopia" was released in 2022, marking the true beginning of the project.

Last Friday, April 17, 2026, the French band released their second studio album, "Resilience." The music was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Julien Prost, while the artwork was created in collaboration with Chromatorium Music (Metalearth Festival, Spiritbox).

"Resilience" is a concept album telling the slow reconstruction that broken souls must initiate to hope to live again after traumatic episodes. It invites breaking the silence and putting words to the pain so that one can be reborn in a better light.

Musically, the orchestra takes a major place in every track, accompanied by a firm guitar and bass dialogue throughout the riffs, as well as clear vocals.

This new album is accompanied by a visual identity built from the motifs, shapes, and colors of kintsugi (golden cracks on a black background). Kintsugi is a Japanese art therapy form consisting of repairing a broken object by valuing its cracks with gold. Applied to people, it is the art of sublimating wounds and recognizing scars as part of one's history rather than hiding them and being ashamed of them. Finally, kintsugi is a way to focus on one's pain and become aware of the healing process.