The 4-song digital-only EP Fractal from Swedish progressive death metallers SKYFIRE is now available for legal download at this location.

It is currently being processed by iTunes, Napster and many other mp3 stores for sale via their respective stores in the coming weeks.

The band spent over 5 years writing new materials since its last release. Unleashed a few months before the band’s full length magnum opus titled Esoteric, the digital-only Fractal release represents the band’s best material written between 2004 and 2009.

Fractal serves to thank long time fans who have patiently waited for new material with songs that would have otherwise never seen the light of day. Among its four songs is also a preview track from Esoteric aptly titled 'Esoteric', as a taste of the full length onslaught to follow suit and is also available for listening on the band’s MySpace page.

The songs on Fractal utilize the same epic bombast as Esoteric while simultaneously maintaining the melancholic attitude heard on 2004’s Spectral.

The tracks were recorded, mixed and mastered at the band's Powernest Studios with new members Joakim Karlsson (vocals; MARK:BLACK) and Johan Reinholdz (guitars; ANDROMEDA, NONEXIST) with the exception of 'Esoteric' which was mixed and mastered by Jonas Kjellgren (SCAR

SYMMETRY, SONIC SYNDICATE, ZONARIA, THE ABSENCE).

Fractal not only provides diehard fans with some exceptional songs that would have otherwise never been released, it is also the first taste of new Skyfire material which will be continued on the band’s Esoteric full length.

As previously reported, after five years of computer failure, illness, lineup-changes and countless other obstacles, Skyfire will triumphantly return to unleash their long awaited 4th album, Esoteric, this September 8th in North America, 14th in the UK and 18th in Europe via Pivotal Rockordings.

Bassist Martin Hanner comments on the band's new album which features 10 epic new songs, some of which utilizing up to 70 individual tracks each:

"For this album, we were heavily inspired by bands like SYMPHONY X and BAL-SAGOTH; bands that write epic and catchy songs at the same time. We really thought long and hard about how we can make this new record as epic as possible without it coming off as cheesy and we then carefully began writing the subtle choir and orchestra parts to accompany the already bombastic music. This took quite some time, but we are pleased with the final result. The writing and overall planning for this CD took years and we literally weren't finished writing until right after all the recording was done.

When the album was finished, we had a long discussion with our label regarding what to do about bonus tracks. Both parties agreed that the songs we wrote for this album are too special to be broken up for different territories. So instead we decided to include the old Within Reach demos as bonus tracks. These are literally the first legitimate Skyfire recordings ever, and as you'll soon see, the first and only time you'll hear Skyfire with a clean singer. Even though the songwriting and especially the lyrics are immature, we think these songs will be cool for a lot of fans who might have wondered what we sounded like all those years ago. These tracks were NEVER made available to the public until now."

Hanner also reveals the concept behind the stunning artwork for Esoteric, which was designed by by Pär Olofsson (THE FACELESS, PSYCROPTIC, SPAWN OF POSSESSION) with layout handled by CULT OF LUNA’s Erik Olofsson:

"The cover is basically a guy who is being initiated by a cult. You can choose to interpret the guy in pain as he is being burned alive by the cultists just so he can join, or you can interpret the guy as having achieved the power he sought, and he is screaming out of bliss and not pain. It relates to the title because a lot of us would think that what he is doing is kind of ridiculous- why would anyone want to join a cult? But people do strange things and they have their own subjective, esoteric sense of understanding that to the rest of us, is strange or crazy. I think we ALL in some shape or form have esoteric practices that a lot of other people don't 'get,' whether it's believing in something or even listening to metal music."

The Esoteric tracklisting is as follows: 'Deathlike Overture (Intro)', 'Esoteric', 'Rise And Decay', 'Let The Old World Burn', 'Darkness Descending', 'Seclusion', 'Misery's Supremacy', 'Under A Pitch Black Sky', 'Linger In Doubt', 'The Legacy Of The Defeated', 'Within Reach' (bonus).