Today we have the privilege of sharing an early stream of ‘Mysteries of a Flowery Dream‘ the second and latest full-length album from Catalonia, Spain-based atmospheric death metal band JADE which releases this coming Friday, May 9th via Pulverised Records (CD, Vinyl) and Iron Fortress Records (Cassette). Deepening their signature voice with a broader melodic vernacular these folks seek commune within the realm of dreams, death and afterlife in search of transcendental knowledge. In the process their authorship only increases its personal touch, a fixated and (again) highly melodic fusion of death metal aggression, dark doom metal atmosphere unto their own unique amalgamated form which once again serves an exceptionally immersive work.

The whole of ‘Mysteries of a Flowery Dream‘ flows together in ranting spiralized movement where all is awash with beauteous prog-death escalation and richly achieved atmosphere yet finds a direction, a strong central voice which persists throughout the full listen. Their performances are once again declarative in presentation yet musing over emotionally driven statement, a yearning and drifting heavy rock rhythmus that marries brilliantly with the strong lead guitar built melodic voice of this new material. You can read more of my thoughts and praise in a recent REVIEW of the album. An extended interview with band founder/visionary J. is also included here so scroll down and be sure to check out what the artist has to say while you listen to the album.

Thanks goes out to JADE, Pulverised Records, and their representation for the opportunity to share this album early. Scroll down to the Bandcamp embed below to finalize your descent… As always, please do your best to support the worldwide death metal underground and grab a copy on CD, vinyl, cassette tape and digitally on May 9th:

store.pulverised.net | Iron Fortress Records (Cassette Version)
facebook.com/jadestonmask

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INTERVIEW

When and where did the first spark take place in formation of Jade? From what I gather vocalist/guitarist J. and former drummer D. originally conceived of the group, was there a specific type of collaboration in mind? Was there a yet unstated musical thought or sub-genre based conception shared? How does that original idea stand next to the grand vision of ‘Mysteries of a Flowery Dream’ today?

There’s a key moment for which year’s later I would match elements and definitely found a reason to give birth to a new band in 2018. Since I began playing with bands back in mid 90s, most of my journey has been linked mainly to one band, with which since 2001 we released like 7 full lengths, playing in several countries. It’s been like the project of my life, but due reasons I’ll probably explain it later, I felt the need of starting a new project, mainly based on me as an engine. I guess it was a need trying to recover my role as a main composer, with full control on the band’s concept, music language and management; was a sort of need.

Back to this key moment, it was like 25 years ago when I took a long trip to México, where I fell in love with its ancestral culture, so a sort of seed came back home with me. A seed of inspiration and admiration for which when back in 2017 I took lessons at the university related to symbolism through history, I realized of a certain connection on ancestral cultures. There was a sort of primal call several cultures had, and still have, of dialogue with the unknown, the far beyond. It was obvious to me in ancient Mesoamerican cultures, but also on Eastern ones. The connection I found were about how them where linked by the use of tools shaped in the green stone called JADE. Symbols, icons…tools at the end, for setting and developing this dialogue. At the end, they needed tools to set a cultural behavior explaining and dealing the reality they lived in.

So, a concept took shape, and allowed me to discover and deal with a large amount of sources. I even felt that it might be quite original to mix far in time and distance cultures under the Jade stone umbrella.

Back in 2017, my friend Dylan and I met several times across Europe and crossed interests, common interests in terms of music and even that historical approach we would like to add. At that time, based in Berlin, he would be up for writing lyrics and play drums, but later, at the time we were supposed to open the recording process for a first album, he moved to a new European location, and sadly with no options to keep rehearsing and playing.

When I’m involved in a project, I usually need to create and justify artistic decisions with a solid speech, clear elements that may help expose the band from visual to lyrical parcels. So, thinking with open mind on how giving birth to a band, and think on a sort of leitmotiv that may help dressing all the parcels a band need to develop, JADE came to me naturally as an interesting choice. Which opened a wide range of possibilities in terms of topics to use and build a concept from.

The fact of linking Jade’s language to the fact of digging again on the 90’s music sources I was inspired by still is the basic and easier way to enter into our musical proposal. I guess it’s the control that 4 releases give us over the music language, the main difference when reading how bigger musically talking the new album is compared to the debut Ep. I still feel I’m using the same colour palette when facing the canvas, and want it to remain and keep like this for long time.

From the first demo “atmospheric death metal” has made sense as the key tag for Jade’s sound, a descriptor that emphasizes the broader strokes of your approach, which now include some black metal and different strokes of death/doom. Was death metal a natural choice for the core of Jade’s sound, or, do you see it that way when looking back on the demo, ‘Pacification of Death’ and now this second full-length? What caused you to flow toward death metal rather than the current anything-goes idea pool of black metal?

The way I begin each song composition is always building it from a lead guitar. What someone almost might call a solo is with no doubt a riff in itself, not only an arrangement. So, a key element in order to recognize each song, later dressed with real arrangements, bridges or fills.

Defining very clear foundations musically and aesthetically was the very first step to take, and this Death Metal rediscovery I have been lucky to live during the last 10 years was crucial for betting for this old vibe language a bit distant from what my main other band developed. Death Metal has probably been the less developed language on my own discography, but provided the real sort of dynamism I wanted Jade to be expressed with. Rhythmically you might find direct references to Bolt Thrower in the way I conceived the drums section. Said that, I’ve been also linked to mainly Black Metal for years, while being a lover of the British Doom gold years. Atmosphere, written in a dense musical layering, dressed with classy melodies as the most recognizable ones in extreme music, has set my identity.

I’ve always believed in the “less is more” sentence, but even more in the use of a very few amount of very recognizable elements and tools on each parcel. Look at these lead / solo guitar lines driving most of the songs, or the vocal resources which give coherence to the whole entity and speech.

Emotions can be felt whatever production you may use, but it’s true that Jade was conceived to be a heavy beast dealing with putrid beauty. That’s what the tuning, the distortion, the slow tempo and the depth of the songs walk as one on an epic claustrophobic sense.

Has Jade’s central point of purpose changed beyond ‘Pacification of Death’? Does this new album intend to evolve or redefine Jade’s sound/style? This time around the recording and performances feel less distant. I’d almost begin to describe your work more in terms of presence, there is a presence which occupies space on this album and all is channeled direct from the sceptre. Was there any intent for the atmosphere achieved by this second album to be drastically different from that of the first? How would you describe the desired atmosphere and tone in mind for ‘Mysteries of a Flowery Dream’?

At that band’s conception time, there was a flame inside which had been burning strong since mid-90’s, when began my personal music venture from the creative side. Since years before, and still now, music, from all its parcels, has given a lot to me in terms of inspiration, goals and chances to develop myself.

As a key piece to my life, music allows to explore and develop not only technical skills but personal. From the experience got from the other projects I’ve been involved in, Jade appeared as a need on developing something from a very unique and single initial vision, experiencing where I might be able to take the band to.

“Smoking Mirror” sounded and was conceived from primitiveness, a channel to put together some ideas and set the path. 2022’s debut album “The Pacification of Death” probably exposed our more Death Metal side to date, while the 3 tracks from “The Sempiternal Wound” the more Doom language. The sophomore album probably puts the balance on the Black Metal side, due the way more Atmospheric and dense approach to music, but never was something planned.

I don’t like to use the Black Metal label out of the Atmosphere, but I’m pretty sure your readers and album listeners will get what I mean. As Jade listeners has already got from past experiences and will get with this new album, there’s a need of playing such game with balance, all driven with the main goal so called emotion. Music must emanate emotion, density and being so dynamic. I would love someone to consider Jade’s music under the band’s name label, as in my opinion happened with Malte’s Necros Christos, Bolt Thrower or Katatonia back in time, or today’s Bölzer for naming just a few.

So, more than redefining our style/sound, I want to believe we are shaping more and more our own language.

You’ve more recently released a split LP with SANCTUARIUM (‘The Sempiternal Wound’, 2024) and as I’d noted in my review the song “Cascade” specifically felt like a revelation in a classic death/doom metal direction. There is a persistence I’d felt within the whole of your material on that split LP, an intentional step beyond ‘The Pacification of Death’. Were those three songs written specifically for that split? Were any of those ideas extracted from the process of creating either the first or second full-length? Do you approach songs like “Cascade” intending a certain level of emotional expression, or effect?

When I began composing the new album, as soon as I reached the 4th or 5th song, I realized that the first 3 ones would not match with what I was smelling would come from then on. Those 3 first songs composed after 2022’s debut album were way more doom than the death metal main vibe that “The Pacification of Death” delivered, but less intense than what would come from that moment on.

I proposed Roy from Pulverised to release another EP, but after chatting, the idea of getting an LP would be way better than an Ep, so we agreed to work on the split idea, and I proposed Marc (former drummer) to close our time together by collaborating on one last thing, this time not being part of us.

Marc gave the best of him recording drums for “The Pacification Of Death” and during the first 8 months of JADE’s Live activity. But his own bands, who everybody know at this time worldwide, needed much more attention from him, so partying ways was absolutely comprehensible and got my full support at that time.

I think „Cascade“ directly drinks from the classic British Doom sources, and due it’s strong and unique personality, the whole Jade track list on the split „The Sempiternal Wound“ ends in an sort of ode to Doom. I do agree on your use of the word emotional for talking of our music. All music apparently should be considered an emotional art discipline (probably the most important), but let’s say that there is some music that emphasizes this emotional side, and I’m glad someone may note this when talking of our music.

Where does the band stand with this album as a final product? Was this album a joy to make? A struggle? The title reminds me of the early days of a more obscure German death metal band INCUBATOR, a seeming psychedelic title and outward-thinking style. Is there a specific meaning to the title? Is this a concept album? What is ‘Mysteries of a Flowery Dream’ out to communicate?

The album lyrical concept digs into the relationship between life on earth and the mysterious magical world of dreams, for which we might identify the human soul in Ancient Mesoamerican cultures. The waking mind and the energetic body used at death, or to sleep, form the aura, and how dreams play a crucial role within these cultures’ Cosmo vision is what here dwells.

This is a poetized journey into the dialogue between conscious and subconscious dreaming states and the mysteries around. The “Flowery Dream” is the inebriated state of ecstasy for which a lucid dream happens. We can also attain this state while awake, by altering our state of consciousness, bringing the tonal (waking state) and the nahual (sleep/dream state) together in what may be called daydreaming, or dreaming while awake.

From Mesoamerican cultures to Chinese and Southern Asian ones, the greenstone was conferred with deep spiritual symbolism and used to connect the earthly level to the unknown. The history of the countless traditions, legends and cults remain as an endless source of topics in terms of lyrics for the band, with a rich historical narrative also poetized which we cannot find in European soil through this rare mineral. I guess we are way more used to see the world and its historical conception from our European eyes than from the depths of other cultures. The connection I did of all these terms and topics while taking studies of symbolism, and my trip to Mexico like 20 years ago, as I mentioned earlier in the interview, probably are the spark to choose such an unusual name and propose this lyrical landscape.

Said that… I must say that the only thing we have been struggling during this album creation, was in the final steps of recording and mixing, an unexpected personal issue that made us struggle with the planned schedule… just took us 1 more week to reach the result and jump into Master. My worry was to have enough time for a proper promotional period and manufacturing time, which despite this moment, never happened to go wrong. We work things easy, and with enough time thanks to the confidence we have received from Pulverised Records, which allows us to plan things almost 1 year in advance…priceless… So, being trustful in terms of agenda, only too bad unexpected things can make us live an album process as a struggle.

Are any new or notable influences that’ve shaped the sound of, or might preface interest in, ‘Mysteries of a Flowery Dream’? Fans of a few specific bands (The Ruins of Beverast, maybe Paradise Lost) will appreciate the loft of your work but that doesn’t describe the full breadth. There is a wide-swung spectrum of ideas coming from this album, does it feel like you’ve achieved your own sound, or the intended specificity?

The composition process starts always in me, with demos for all the songs that may compose a release, from structure, rhythm and guitar melodic approach. I like to create music that can be recognized from its melodies besides the emotion it emanates. I do think that not being a guitarist allows to reach a very primitive result and perspective on every new song I do, and in my opinion, if you compare the demos since 2018’s debut Ep, all of them works in a very similar way.

It’s the role of A. on guitars what allows our music reach absolutely new levels of expression compared to my basic demo draft. We are aligned in terms of developing a so atmospheric music with the most primitive tools we know. But these arrangements on guitars he is able to do, are absolutely a privilege to live and taste, from the very first moment he takes my songs.

I guess that the mix of a primitive and easy reading structure and rhythmical section on Drums and Guitars, leave the right amount of space to develop a really unique melodic approach to each song. Harmonies are so important when it comes to enrich the initial melodic guide I set, and this time the difference probably has come from the fact of working on a pre-production before the definitive album recording. Being honest, there’s no real intentional take on the sound we offer with the new album, only a different and clear period of time when all these songs have been worked together.

Production on Moontower Studios under Javi Felez curation is a key point too. He knows how to read and translate what we have in mind, and the new album proves again the formula still works. Swimming in the realms of distance seems to be accurate for explaining all this journey from earthy level to the far beyond.

How involved was the band in the sound design process for this album? Were there any specific notes for the mix/master compared to the previous album? The guitar tones used on ‘Mysteries of a Flowery Dream’ stood out to me from the first listen, each song (barring elements shared by “The Stars’ Shelter” I & II) feature their own array of effects and techniques. Did any manner of heavy rock or gothic metal inspire the rhythm/lead tones used on “Darkness in Movement” or “Shores of Otherness”?

We have continued with the same method since the debut Ep. Demo songs made by me, and then jumping into guitar arrangements by A. I feel that giving him freedom to arrange the guitar lines, with a unique harmonic knowledge is the best decision I have ever made. But, that’s it… Sorry no… in fact this time we did a sort of preproduction version in between of the Studio recording and my initial demos. Basically to give us more time to recognize the songs and work with a bit more feedback and chances to improve.

On studio we spent more time than in previous recordings on finding a good sound for each instrument, and how worked among them in terms of frequencies and so. We had so clear that the guitars should be a defining element in terms of production, as they are in terms of composition, so, yes… along Javi Félez at Moontower, we spent one day working on sounds. Also more days for mix… and at the end, mastering at Orgone Studios with Jaime G. Arellano which has given it the definitive push and touch to the proposal.

Behind the guitars arrangement, A. adds an additional Heavy Metal touch that works incredibly well with the way both reinterpretate our own sources. I love Goth Rock and even Post Punk, but there’s no conscious intention to add this layer in Jade’s music… I repeat, consciously.

Subjects of celestially sourced guidance are suggested as the over-arching theme for this new album: Spiritual communion, the interpretation of dreams, and “Mayan cosmovision” is also named. What themes do you explore within the lyrics for this album? Is there an over-arching narrative that ties these songs together? Do methods of dream divination, or induced lucid dreaming factor into the lyrics for this album? In the past psychedelia/psychedelic experiences appeared to have some relevance to Jade’s lyrical approach, is this true for ‘Mysteries of a Flowery Dream’?

Within the Measoamerican ancestral cultures there is an epic narrative in the describing the celestial world, and how its patterns may serve to overcome ominous times and the gathering of dark deities and creation Gods for Mayans. The subconscious guide was found in the Moon calendar and sets with ‘The Stars’ Shelter’ the opening track to the dreaming journey.

With ‘Light’s Blood’, the topic was to deal with the importance of dreams, which is demonstrated by how the Maya discussed them, as Omens not meant to be feared. Dreams are myths, described in mythical speech. When talking of the soul, there’s a phenomenon within the human body called “koyopa” which might be described as lightning in the blood, or sky serpents some are born with and others awaken through powerful spiritual experiences.

Shores of Otherness develops how within the Mayan Cosmo vision there are three worlds, Upper (13 skies), Lower (9 regions of the underworld) and Center (Earth). When dreaming, our celestial body travels to these worlds for guidance, healing and messages. Far shores where our otherness may find the wisdom earthly life required.

The Stars’ Shelter (II) is and instrumental track which serves as a soundtrack of the ancestral Mexican Cosmo vision. The ascension and descent of forces and celestial bodies converge on the middle realm finding balance. As above so below. And as a sort of break during the album track list. It is said that Mictlan (the underworld) is not a place but a state of resting, to be in that moment of dreaming. The tough fight and transition facing the tyrannical tests and punishments, reaches the ultimate level reaching the longed rest of the soul with “9th Episode”’s lyric.

In “Darkness in Movement” there’s a reference to the 9th level of Temictzacoalli, the Toltec pyramid of dreams, which claims to be the sacred place of sleep, the place of darkness from where light emerges. There are no dreams, only darkness in movement, and we access the mind of the Black Eagle, the place of the original plan. This is the last test related to power and ego, where we have the option of intervening or not in the original plan, depending on whether we can transcend the light and darkness of the mind.

Finally, the last song serves as a summary of the album title. “A Flowery Dream” is the inebriated state of ecstasy for which a lucid dream happens. We can also attain this state while awake, by altering our state of consciousness, bringing the tonal (waking state) and the nahual (sleep/dream state) together in what may be called daydreaming, or dreaming while awake.

Some in depth research previous to the album recording is what I do when dealing with concepts, titles and visual references. Have in mind that in Jade music comes first, and at the end, vocals…or better said, lyrics in parallel to the songs arrangement, and vocals while recording the album, choosing titles and lyrics depending on each song mood and vibes. Everything is actually way more preconceived in my head without knowing how it really works than someone might think… At the ends is like matching ideas in the most natural and organic way.

For the third time you’ve selected cover art from Adam Burke and this one is no less striking. The first thing that’d come to mind on my end was Shelob from the Lord of the Rings, which wouldn’t be out of character for the artist but in your notes you suggest it depicts Mayan moon goddess Ixchel, a sort of creator-destructor figure? Was this an idea relayed to the artist or just a fitting image? Is there a specific song or lyric tied to them, or other Mayan mythos?

There’s a 9 levels sort of pyramid of dreams you might compare to an ascending process to improve yourself as individual, that composes the main part of the lyrical conception in this album. As mentioned, a journey into the dialogue between conscious and subconscious dreaming states and the mysteries around.

Having always in mind the way those cultures conceived its world, with gods and entities on the 3 main levels, with a so rich list of tales and interrelations, the reference of the powerful moon goddess Ixchel, creative and destructive, came to me as a nice resource for expressing how all this life seemed to be controlled by unknown forces. She was associated with a Spider, who creates the thread of life like an umbilical cord. She could give life to beings and nature, but also punish and sent floods and storms to the earth in her destructive phase…
That was the initial guide I shared with Adam Burke, along the importance I was reading each character on this scene with, so his magic came naturally to close this really majestic painting. We couldn’t work with him in „the Sempiternal Wound“ because schedule issues and the fact of trying to agree a different approach for a cover in a split release with 2 different bands. So, that cover was an original paint by Kristina Pavleska – Mors Ultima Ratio Art, and was a nice choice after the agreement and bet Marc and us found, in order to express something common for such collaboration.

Animals have always been so present into these cultures, so although the Spider may seem so relevant in terms of album concept, I do like to take and mix secondary elements of the lyrical development in order to get a powerful visual scene in order to drown the listener into the album landscape. There’s no specific lyric dealing with this IxChel goddess… but I feel works really well in terms of metaphor in 3 of them.

Have live shows offered perspective in terms of your compositional process over the years with Jade?. How often do you consider the way that this riff or that solo might land in a live setting? Does the band rehearse or compose in a shared space? How will these songs affect Jade’s live presence? Are there any you’re looking forward to performing? Can you share any upcoming touring plans? Festivals? Side projects in the works?

Jade was conceived from the need of recovering two main aspects on my life. The role of composer, which I declined for some years in order to leave space as composers to the guitar players, and reach better results, with my other band Foscor… And also recover the feeling I had during the first years of that band on stage. Being honest, I needed to be back to my comfort zone, a way more energetic performance, visceral and easy to shape. I also missed my role as singer and bassist from the early years. It‘s been almost 15 years being more involved in only vocals performing, writing and band managing than playing my own music.

Despite the album may add some guitar layers we cannot play on stage, there are not much consideration of how a riff may work on stage, or how difficult can be for any of us. I must admit that my initial demos think on how enjoyable or emotional a song can be on stage, but only from the dynamic and rhythmical point of view.
During the next 6 months we will play live the same amount of shows that during the past 2 years since we started playing. So, yes, from the SWR Barroselas Metal Fest in Portugal where we debuted this new songs 2 weekends ago, to an European tour we are still booking for September, we have shows in France, Spain, Netherlands and Germany awaiting, and we really hope the album may bring us the chance to visit new countries we haven‘t played in yet.

Last but not least, there’s one song left from this album recording sessions… a special one due who has arranged it, and how it turns compared to the album. There might be plans for a nice collaboration in the making. Let’s see if we can make it happen at the time we go on tour next September.

How important to the band is it that fans interact and follow social media for Jade? Do those numbers make a big difference per your opportunities, or is just buying the record and catching a show the best possible interaction? What is the best way fans can support Jade?

The interaction in social media seems relevant when thinking on how you prepare a specific location for your music when you plan a show there, but, who knows. I must admit that I’m behind all the band’s social media activity, and when you see a return from some movements, in terms of album sales, you realize your work has an importance. Absolutely, the best way to help a band like us, is buying our music, merch and attending to the shows near your place. We are building something, and as newcomer with just 6 years of existence, we still have many efforts to do, which the support of audience transforms in credibility and growing interest.

I believe in organic growth… if it has not to happen…so be it. By now, I cannot complain of how things has worked for us since we debuted with „Smoking Mirror“. „The Pacification Of Death“ was the best album release I’ve been involved in with any of my existing or previous bands, and I still feel that every new concert we are lucky to perform, adds new people to our cause… I’m thankful for such support and trust. I really wish to be able to keep the level of uniqueness to those people eyes, ears and heart, now and in the future.

Per the press release:

JADE – “Mysteries Of A Flowery Dream”
Label: Pulverised Records
Release date: 09.05.2025

“Atmospheric death metal”. Three simple words to describe one’s music, chosen by JADE mainman J. himself, although they don’t seem to quite pay justice to the gigantic scope of their music. Because ever since the release of their debut demo back in 2018 they’ve proven again and again to be more. Much more.

Historically speaking, the word ‘jade’ referred to a rare but really valuable mineral in ancient times all over the world. From Mesoamerican cultures to Chinese and Southern Asian ones, the greenstone was conferred with deep spiritual symbolism and used to connect the earthly level to the unknown. The history of the countless traditions, legends and cults remain as an endless source of topics in terms of lyrics for the band, with a rich historical narrative also poetized. JADE’s music is described by J. as “a tribute to the timeless obscure metal language, from early death/doom manifestations to later atmospheric black acts, in a really heavy, intense and epic form which transcends ages, as the greenstone cult has endured.”

The sophomore album, and second full-length after last year split LP with SANCTUARIUM, “Mysteries Of A Flowery Dream” carries an ominous wave of darkness, redefining heaviness with new levels of musical production and arrangements, compared by J. to “a journey into the dialogue between conscious and subconscious dreaming states and the mysteries around.”

The album’s lyrics are in direct line of those themes, echoing the celestial world and how it can help us overcoming ominous times (“The Stars’ Shelter”), how dreams can be interpreted as omens (“Light’s Blood”) and how they allow us to travel the Mayan cosmovision and its various worlds for guidance, healing and messages (“Shores Of Otherness”), among others. You can even find on the cover artwork elements of the ancient Mesoamerican cosmovision, mainly the powerful moon goddess Ixchel, a creative yet destructive entity, portrayed here as the Spider and threading human fate like an umbilical cord, determined to give life but also to destroy it if needed. A frightening, fragile yet utterly fascinating balance perfectly illustrated by “Mysteries Of A Flowery Dream”.

store.pulverised.net | Iron Fortress Records (Cassette Version)
facebook.com/jadestonmask

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