Today, Panopticon presents: “Ely in the Dark”, the third and final single from “Laurentian Blue”, due for release by Nordvis and Bindrune Recordings on August 15.
“Laurentian Blue” sees Panopticon leave behind the distortion and delve into a quieter, more intimate realm. Steeped in acoustic Americana, this companion to “…And Again into the Light” explores grief, resilience, and memory through banjo, mandolin, and twin violins. Inspired by the likes of Townes Van Zandt, it’s a record of stark emotional clarity – a reminder that sometimes the heaviest burdens are carried in silence.
Austin Lunn commented:
“Ely in the Dark” is about life in the northwoods, conjuring images of what people’s lives are like here. The northern lights often illuminate our skies at night – but on cloudy evenings, the faint glow from town reflects off the low clouds and gives the false impression that the lights are beginning. I feel like a lot of things in life, for better and worse, aren’t what they seem. Life is drenched in both mystery and irony, and we’re all just finding our way through it.
PANOPTICON – Laurentian Blue
Release date: September 5
Format: CD / LP / Digital
With “Laurentian Blue”, Panopticon ventures beyond the boundaries of metal to explore an entirely different emotional terrain. Though not the band’s first foray into acoustic territory – “The Scars of Man on the Once Nameless Wilderness, Part 2” (2018) charted similar ground – this album deepens the journey. Described by Austin Lunn as ‘Northwoods Americana’ or ‘outdoor country’, it offers a raw and intimate reflection on loss, change, and the quiet strength of human connection.
Written alongside “…And Again into the Light” (2021), this companion piece trades distortion for acoustic resonance – banjo, mandolin, resonator guitar, and twin violins painting a soundscape steeped in frost, memory, and resilience. While the palette is gentler, the themes remain no less weighty: the burden of regret, the passage of time, and the quiet act of holding on – not for oneself, but for those who remind us of our worth.
Inspired by songwriters like Blaze Foley and Townes Van Zandt, “Laurentian Blue” is a record of stark beauty and quiet defiance. It stands as a testament to Panopticon’s ever-evolving spirit – wherever the sound may go, the heart remains the same.
Austin Lunn commented:
“Laurentian Blue” was mostly written during an extremely dark time in my life. Many of the songs took shape in a remote cabin deep within Northern Minnesota’s Superior National Forest — a place I visited often before relocating there full-time in 2021.
The album emerged during several years of intense depression and grief — a period marked by personal loss, the death of a family member, medical trauma, a global pandemic, and a national crisis and uprising. Writing became a way to create a calm space to hold and process those experiences.
The final three songs were written after I moved to the far north of Minnesota, out into the North Woods, near the deep wilderness of the Boundary Waters. The stillness and solitude of that landscape naturally found their way into the music.
Buy here: https://nordvis.lnk.to/panopticon
