“This album nearly broke me,” recalls State of Illusion vocalist/guitarist Jacob Porter regarding the band’s newest release, Pluto’s Ghost. “I doubted myself nearly every step of the way. I couldn’t find band members. I suffered a crushing writer’s block for over a year. It made me feel like I wasn’t a good musician or songwriter. It felt like I had no purpose—like I should just give up. And, in the end, I think that’s what makes this album so special. State of Illusion persevered and I think you can feel every bit of frustration, every question, every doubt throughout this album. And I think you can feel that they were all overcome.”
Pluto’s Ghost catalogues State of Illusion’s journey to another world, much like the actual otherworldly audio provided by NASA found in every song, finding their unique identity along the way. While keeping the easily accessible rock core of what State of Illusion established on their previous effort, Aphelion, Pluto’s Ghost sees the band adding progressive elements, ethereal soundscapes, and doubling down on mood and emotion.
The record, self-produced by Jacob Porter and mixed and mastered by Nick Coyle (Cold/Lifer) and Brandon Hart (The HartBeat Studios), takes on a variety of challenging topics, such as self-worth, purpose, the crossroads life brings, striving to become a better person, starting over, and dealing with tragic loss.
With soaring-yet ethereal, simple-yet-complex radio-ready single “Starlight" to heavy-yet-melodic tracks, "Artificial Paradise" and "Wasted Life," to quiet moments, highlighted in the reflective "Home," Pluto’s Ghost promises to be a launching point for State of Illusion.
Notable performances:
State of Illusion have been humbled to share the stage with: Staind (hand-selected by vocalist Aaron Lewis), Cold, Chevelle, 10 Years, Breaking Benjamin, Seether, Spiritbox, Shinedown, Rob Zombie, Five Finger Death Punch, Megadeath, Bush, Lamb of God, All That Remains, Pop Evil, Puddle of Mudd, Saliva, Fuel, Flaw, Smile Empty Soul, and many more.
