Track By Tracks: Vallorch - The Circle (2025)

Album as a whole:

Leo: The album "The Circle" centers on the theme of night. Throughout the tracks, the night serves as a unifying thread, revealing its many sides: it can be a time for reflection and tranquility, but also for celebration and connection; it holds both joy and discomfort, togetherness and solitude.

The circle and the phases of the moon reflect the night’s diverse nature—ranging from moments of introspection and joy to despair, silence, and overwhelming noise.

The night allows our true selves to surface.

The circle symbolizes opposing forces in constant pursuit, revolving and coexisting in the same moment.

The sound of the album reflects this duality in its many different moods, going from epic to festive to melancholic to ominous.

Influenced by symphonic and power metal, this album shines in its bombastic compositions and memorable melodies.

Describe each song track by track

1. To the Silver Summit:

The album opens with "Silver Summit," inspired by the legend of the Pale Mountains. In the story, the Dolomite kingdom is at peace, yet its prince is overwhelmed by sadness and longs to reach the Moon. Determined to escape his despair, he embarks on a difficult journey to the highest peak—the Silver Summit.

The song is bombastic, fast-paced, and filled with interstitials that mimic the struggle of the rise of the prince in the thunderous snowstorm.

While the original legend focuses on a love story between the prince and the Moon princess, this track emphasizes the themes of striving for new heights, seeking change, and the determination to overcome suffering.

The song shifts to a first-person narrative, allowing the listener to connect with the prince’s struggle. His journey up the mountain, fraught with obstacles, symbolizes the challenges of life, while his weakening resolve during the storm reflects the difficulty of sustaining hope. Yet, the essence of the song lies in the courage to take just one more step toward personal happiness. The Moon serves as a metaphor for the future, and the journey represents self-discovery.

Ultimately, the track is a message of hope and perseverance, urging listeners to keep climbing despite setbacks. It invites them to seek the light of the Moon—even when hidden by clouds—and to be guided by the stars, however faint.

On a deeper level, the song serves as an anthem of determination and resilience. Attentive listeners will recognize parallels to the struggle of overcoming depression and the courageous steps toward healing, which inspired the lyrics.

The Lord of the Night and King of the Peaks, figures from the legend, take on metaphorical roles: the former personifies pain and alienation, while the latter represents the arduous journey. Though the prince calls for their mercy at the start, his path begins regardless of their favor—he takes the first step alone.

2. Hellpath:

Like the previous track, "Hellpath" draws from a fairy tale—in this case, the Cimbrian legend of "The 99 Paths of Hell." The story tells of a young man who makes a deal with the devil for wealth, but in old age, he fears the consequences. According to the pact, the devil will claim his soul unless he can guess how many paths exist in the devil’s garden.

The man disguises himself as a strange creature covered in molasses and feathers, tricking the devil, who says, "In all 99 paths of my garden, I’ve never seen a beast like this."

The song uses the imagery of the devil's paths to represent the choices we make in life. Mistakes, regrets, good decisions, and doubts form the endless paths that all lead to the same fate: death, embodied by the devil.

It’s a song about remorse, regret, and uncertainty. Did I choose the right path? No matter what, every path ends the same—eventually, we’ll be forgotten.

The central theme is the paralyzing weight of anxiety and self-sabotage: fear of the future, indecision, constant second-guessing.

But in the end, the message is to keep moving forward without getting lost, staying true to oneself, and outwitting "the devil"—death—not by reaching a specific goal, but by holding on to your identity.

Living is about learning to dance on life’s burning paths in your own way.

The rhythmic nature of the heavy riffs mixes with a tune ready to dance, and the harsh vocals incarnate the spirit of the devil (or self-doubt) talking in your ear.

The song has a folkish ecclesiastical vibe to it that goes through many different phases, akin to the theme of the song.

3. Circle of the Moon:

The album’s flagship single, "Circle of the Moon," stands out as an energetic and hopeful anthem that encapsulates the essence of the new Vallorch. The song’s central theme is refreshingly straightforward: it represents a return to nature and our tribal roots, emphasizing a rejection of the modern human condition, which is often dominated by routine and relentless productivity. In a world increasingly focused on achieving tangible results, "Circle of the Moon" serves as a reminder that life calls us back to its simple joys and wonders: a call to the wilderness.

The song has a natural flow and groove that rises in the chorus and goes back to a crescendo over and over again, until its final explosive ending.

The inspiration for the moon circle can be traced back to the Cimbrian novel "Altar Khnotto," which also served as the foundation for the song "Sleràch." Within this novel, there’s a vivid depiction of the enormous stone located on the Asiago plateau, known as the Altar Khnotto. In this tale, Cimbrian maidens would gather at night to dance under the stone in a ceremonial circle, seeking the favor of the moon god, Maano. This enchanting imagery evokes a sense of community, spirituality, and connection to the natural world, often lost in contemporary times.

While this pre-Christian Cimbrian reality is a product of the author’s imagination, it has been recontextualized in our song to serve as a powerful call to life. The rite of dancing under the moonlight becomes a metaphor for embracing our true selves, celebrating our existence, and reconnecting with the rhythms of nature.

The moon itself holds dual significance, representing both motherhood and death, as well as the cycle of beginnings and endings. The phases of the moon—waxing and waning—echo the journey of life, with its inherent ups and downs, joys and sorrows. Thus, the circle—much like the moon’s phases—symbolizes the entirety of life itself, encompassing the richness of our experiences.

In essence, "Circle of the Moon" invites listeners to reflect on their own lives and encourages them to reconnect with their roots, to embrace the beauty of existence, and to find joy in the simple moments. It is a celebration of life’s cyclical nature, urging us to dance through the challenges and triumphs.

4. Drink Some More!:

The song is filled with double entendres and idiomatic expressions about drinking, lending it a playful and lighthearted vibe. The prominent folk melody played on the tin whistle creates an inviting and festive atmosphere, celebrating the joy of gathering with friends and the carefree spirit of good times over drinks.

Influenced more heavily by folk music and folk-rock, the song keeps the pace up with an especially metal-inspired drum part, only stopping to reprise the captivating tune of Sara’s tin whistle.

Whether raising a toast to friendship or celebrating life's small victories, the song captures the essence of those cherished memories spent drinking with friends.

5. Antermoia:

This song tells the legend of Lake Antermoia.

It follows the tale of two lovers: Oswald, nicknamed Man de Fjer (iron hands), and the Cristannes (Alpine Nymph) Antermoia. Oswald was born under a prophecy that foretold music would bring him lifelong suffering. To protect him, his parents cursed him so that any musical instrument he touched would break, which is how he earned his nickname.

One day, Oswald heard the Cristannes singing and playing together, and he fell in love with one of them. They shared many joyful days and nights as she played her harp, but she never revealed her name.

Hidden behind a rock, Oswald overheard the other spirits of the mountains mention her name: Antermoia. Overjoyed, he called out to her, not realizing that speaking a nymph’s name was a death sentence. Nature's laws forbid relationships between the human and the ethereal, and by acknowledging her existence, the nymph ceased to exist.

A chasm opened up, and Antermoia transformed into water, filling the void, leaving only her harp in the center of the lake. Oswald picked up the harp, and it did not break, signifying that the curse had been lifted. As he began to play, he discovered his innate musical talent.

Now, Oswald wanders the world, sharing his tragic story in hopes of easing his unbearable pain. Only the lake remains to remind us of Antermoia.

6. Röte Löon:

Sung entirely in Cimbrian, "Röte Löon" recounts the events of the year 1789, when, after weeks of relentless rain, a massive landslide broke off from Mount Buse Scure in the upper Recoaro region, threatening nearby villages.

Fortunately, there were no fatalities, but the damage to buildings and farms was severe, as the river ran blood red, painted by the debris of the landslide that flowed into it.

Hence, the annals recount the "red landslide," or "Röte Löon".

The sound of the Bouzouki and the male lead vocals of Leo and Marco serve as a change of pace to Sara’s, who, in this track, takes up the role of bagpiper.

The song serves as an anthem to Cimbrian culture and community effort in rebuilding from tragedy and disaster.

7. Salbanéo:

The song, entirely in Venetian and full of playful humor, is sung from the perspective of an old drunkard who, after leaving the tavern, vents his frustrations on a Salbaneo.

The Salbaneo is a mythological figure in Venetian folklore—a mischievous forest elf known for pranks like breaking eggs, spilling milk, or opening doors.

In the past, when something went wrong or something odd happened, our grandparents would say, 'It must have been a Salbaneo.'

Harsh vocals, heavy riffs, and the story unfolding as the track progresses all contribute to the comical tone of the track.

This song humorously and intentionally pokes fun at the character in a lighthearted and irreverent way.

8. The Wild One:

This song delves into the archetype of the Horned God, a figure found in numerous cultural iconographies across the world, from ancient Celtic and Greek mythologies to modern neopagan traditions. The Horned God is often associated with primal forces of nature, fertilit,y and the wild, but the song takes a deeper psychological approach, inspired by Jungian theory. In this interpretation, the Horned God symbolizes the violent, untamed, and destructive aspects of the human psyche—what Carl Jung referred to as the 'shadow self.'

The shadow represents the parts of our personality that we repress or deny, often because they are seen as socially unacceptable. However, the song suggests that to achieve inner wholeness and balance, one must confront and integrate these darker aspects, rather than ignore or suppress them. By embracing the shadow, we can better understand our full nature and move towards personal growth. The song not only captures the raw, primal energy of this mythological figure but also offers a reflection on the human need to reconcile with our inner darkness.

9. Dyssomnia:

This song is a journey into the surreal and dreamlike realm, inspired by the unsettling experiences of insomnia, night terrors, and the blurred line between wakefulness and nightmares. Serving as a suite on the album, it encapsulates the overarching theme of the night, tracing the emotional and mental path of an insomniac. The song unfolds like a voyage, not just through sleeplessness, but through time itself—moving between the past, present, and future, as well as through personal regrets and hopes for what is yet to come.

Musically and lyrically, the song evokes the disorienting sensations that accompany prolonged sleeplessness: the distorted sense of time, the racing mind that struggles to find peace, and the haunting fears that arise in the silence of night. As the insomniac confronts these experiences, the song hints at deeper, existential reflections. In this way, the journey can be interpreted on two levels: on the surface, it speaks to the battle with sleep, but beneath, it can also be seen as a meditation on life’s final moments—a pre-death contemplation where one's entire existence is reviewed in the stillness of night.

The dual meaning allows listeners to engage with the song in multiple ways: some may connect with the literal experience of sleeplessness and anxiety, while others might interpret it as a reflection on mortality, where the night becomes a metaphor for the transition between life and death. The song captures the fragile state between consciousness and dreams, mirroring the way the insomniac’s mind wanders through memories, hopes, and the unknown future.