Radiant Thought – "Transcendence" – Review & Interview
"A Collective Approach is What Leads to Genuine Transcendence"
Portuguese progressive metal project Radiant Thought is making its long-awaited debut with "Transcendence", a full-length album representing years of creative exploration. Formed in 2011 by Valter Abreu, the project has evolved from a duo with Stefan Sjöberg into a solo-led vision, featuring the exceptional talents of vocalist Miguel Pinto and drummer Baard Kolstad (Leprous). With influences ranging from Nine Inch Nails to Tool, "Transcendence" navigates cycles of struggle, resilience, and renewal, creating a deeply immersive listening experience.
I had the chance to talk to founder Valter Abreu about the record. But first things first: Here are some words about the album. I've added a few details from the Radiant Thought biography below my review and interview.
Radiant Thought's full-length debut "Transcendence" is a statement of intent delivered with confidence and clarity. The album opens with an urgency that immediately sets the tone: this is music built on motion, on restlessness, on the tension between who you are and who you want to become.
The Porto-based project opens the album with a blend of progressive and industrial influences that feels sharp rather than ornamental, giving each track a sense of purpose that never drifts into excess. What stands out most is how naturally emotion and precision coexist. The vocals cut through the dense instrumentation with a human warmth that anchors even the most complex arrangements. Tracks like "Radiance" and "The One" shimmer with an energy that's both uplifting and introspective, offering moments of genuine catharsis without ever becoming sentimental. There's a real sense of storytelling here, not through narrative but through musical contour and contrast.
Despite its technical perfection, "Transcendence" never feels like a showcase. Instead, it is a lived-in—an album shaped by experience, by questions asked at the edge of one's own limits, by the cycles of collapse and renewal that define the human condition. Tracks like "An Endless Cycle" embody this perfectly, weaving struggle and resilience into tightly focused sonic architecture.
Baard Kolstad's drumming adds a dynamic heartbeat to the record, pushing songs forward with that unmistakable mix of finesse and force he's known for. By the time "The Aftermath" and "Downside" close the album, Radiant Thought have taken the listener on a journey that feels both expansive and intimate.
"Transcendence" is a promising debut. A fully realised artistic vision. It invites us to move, to reflect, to breathe a little deeper—and maybe, if we let it, to transcend something of our own along the way.
Interview with Radiant Thought
Anne: Congratulations on your debut! It's beautiful. Definitely been worth the wait. How does it feel to finally share it with the world?
Valter: Thank you so much! It feels good but unreal in the best way possible! Radiant Thought has been a part of my life for more than ten years now, and I honestly didn't think I'd get to finish it. To finally see it out there after all this time is an incredible sense of accomplishment.
Anne: You chose the title "Transcendence", which suggests a journey beyond limits. How does this theme manifest throughout the album's music and lyrics?
Valter: The album focuses on the feeling of being trapped in difficult situations and facing obstacles, and the process of overcoming all of that. It's about being better, helping each other out, as opposed to being against. This theme can be applied to any kind of struggle. Therefore, "Transcendence" reflects this journey: to grow, to transcend, to be better.
Anne: How did making the album change you?
"Radiant Thought has been a part of my life for more than ten years now, and I honestly didn't think I'd get to finish it"
Valter: It was a long and hard process for me. At one point, I was a bit lost, throwing every new influence I learned into the songs and losing the initial direction. The main change is that I now have a much clearer sense of what my music genuinely needs. I've learned to stop forcing every reference I have and, instead, trust the process and let the music flow.
Anne: Looking back at the beginnings of Radiant Thought in 2011 and now releasing "Transcendence", what has been the most significant evolution in your creative vision and musical identity?
Valter: The project started with a much more orchestral and epic vision, and the initial vocal arrangements were very different; a couple of songs from that era didn't end up in the final version. My sound eventually began to evolve as I started incorporating more synths and electronics, gradually abandoning that orchestral foundation. In the latest stages of production, I ended up toning everything down, shifting the focus to the core elements of guitars, bass, and drums, which resulted in the final, darker, and moodier overall sound.
Anne: What's your favourite song on the record?
Valter: That's a tough choice, as many tracks are special to me. At first, I would say "Transcending" because it was the track that started it all, and it really summarises the album's sound. However, if I can pick a current favourite, that would be "The Aftermath". I composed that track when I decided to return fresh to the project and fully commit to completing the album, making it one of the most important songs for me.
Anne: Working closely with collaborators like Miguel Pinto and Baard Kolstad, what's one moment during the process that really made you smile or laugh?
"I've learned to stop forcing every reference I have and, instead, trust the process and let the music flow"
Valter: With Baard, everything was done remotely, because that was in 2020 during COVID. A moment that truly made me smile, laugh, and feel a lot of things was receiving the first track with his drums, because I couldn't believe how much better it was; it became a different song. With Miguel, it was any moment during our vocal sessions, late at night, back at my old studio; despite the long hours, we had loads of fun and laughed a lot.
Anne: In "Transcending", you sing, "Feels like chasing the horizon / With no end in sight". Can you tell me about the personal or creative experiences that inspired this imagery?
Valter: The way the horizon feels close but never quite there mirrors the mental and emotional struggle to achieve a breakthrough. This is the only track where I didn't entirely write the lyrics, though. These were initially written by João Franco, who was involved with the project in the early years. He really captured the feeling that I was looking for in "Transcending".
Anne: The track "Radiance" features the lines, "We have become monuments / Souls sing as a choir / So colourful and radiant / Ascending higher and higher". What were you trying to convey about growth and self-discovery through these lyrics?
Valter: The lyrics of "Radiance" are meant to convey the sense of overcoming. When you successfully surpass major obstacles, you eventually achieve something greater. The idea is that through struggle and breakthrough, we can become "monuments", leaving behind something important, and "radiant" for others to remember and be inspired by.
Anne:"The One" seems to explore unity and reconciliation: "If they say we can't turn back / Then we should unite as One". How does this message relate to your own journey as a musician?
"Through struggle and breakthrough, we can become 'monuments', leaving behind something important"
Valter: While Radiant Thought is primarily a solo project, this message directly reflects my personal urge to unite and collaborate, affirming that we are stronger and healthier in unity. The initial draft was a sci-fi concept about man and machine uniting and then dividing, which is why the following track is called "Division", and it used to be called "Union". I eventually toned down the sci-fi elements to make the lyrics focus more on this central theme of the cycles of struggle and renewal.
Anne: "Hexagon" mentions "the six walls around us". Could you explain the metaphor behind these walls, and how it connects to the album's overarching theme of personal struggle?
Valter: The six walls in "Hexagon" are a direct metaphor for obstacles and for feeling trapped. The twist here is the emphasis on teamwork to break down these walls and to move forward. The number six is strongly present partly because it is the sixth track on the album, and it also helps create a visual imaginary place that one must escape from.
Anne: With "An Endless Cycle", you dive into perseverance despite repeated challenges. How much of the album's narrative reflects real-life experiences, and how much reflects abstract concepts?
Valter: This is one of the younger tracks, so in a way it works as a reflection of things. Its narrative leans more towards real-life experiences. It tells the story of someone on a long mission who has learned, transformed, and acknowledged both the good and the bad to become a better version of themselves. To illustrate this, I used the abstract concept of a soldier stuck in an endless battle: he becomes less afraid with every fight, but his ultimate goal is simply to find peace.
Anne: "Downside" is the perfect finale for the alum. It closes the record with the idea of "Walk towards light / Abolishing doom". I think that rounds up the narrative quite well. Did you intentionally craft this track as a resolution to the emotional journey presented in the previous songs?
Valter: Yes, that sense of resolution was intentional. Initially, "Downside" wasn't the final track; I had planned a following track made of variations of "Transcending" to create a circular closure. However, that last song was eventually scrapped, and Downside already sounded like a good closing track. So I decided to incorporate this feeling of closure in the lyrics instead.
Anne: Transcendence features a blend of progressive metal and industrial influences. How did bands like Nine Inch Nails, Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Porcupine Tree shape your approach to making music?
Valter: Those bands were highly influential in shaping the sound of Radiant Thought since the beginning. Projects like Nine Inch Nails and A Perfect Circle inspired the album's use of darker, moodier tones and the integration of industrial textures into a rock/metal sound.
Meanwhile, Tool and Porcupine Tree served as references for the progressive structure and rhythmic complexity.
Anne: Given the long hiatus and the fact that this is a solo-led project with contributions from Miguel Pinto and Baard Kolstad, how did collaboration shape the sound of this album?
"'Transcendence' reflects this journey: to grow, to transcend, to be better"
Valter: After working solo for so long, collaboration made the album feel rich and exciting again, which was crucial to finishing it. The input from Baard and Miguel was essential. They brought ideas that I never would have thought of on my own. Their contributions made the final sound far more complex and interesting than I could have achieved on my own.
Anne: The production spanned multiple locations, including Porto and New York, with a variety of collaborators. Were there any surprising moments during recording that shaped the final sound?
Valter: Hard to say, recordings were mainly done at home and at my old studio, and they were done while composing. The album only went to a real studio for the final mix because I needed to distance myself from it, and I wanted the fresh ears of outside professionals. João Brandão (Mixing) and Erik Peabody (Mastering) were fundamental in shaping the final sound, giving it the necessary clarity and power.
Anne: Looking ahead, what are you most looking forward to—whether it's live performances, connecting with fans, or new creative projects?
Valter: Right now, I'm focused on seeing how the album resonates and really connecting with people. Live shows are a long-term goal, but they are unlikely at the moment, as I would need to form a full band. With Miguel now based in the UK, I'd need to find a solution for the vocals too. In the meantime, I have a couple of creative projects on hold that I want to focus on in the near future. Maybe some new Radiant Thought music later on as well!
Anne: Lyrically, there's a strong emphasis on cycles, growth, and renewal. Did you structure the tracklist intentionally to reflect a narrative arc of struggle and transformation?
Valter: Most of the tracks were positioned intentionally and wouldn't make sense for me in a different order. This is more from a sound perspective, though. Lyrically, the themes are present throughout but not in a particular order, making it more generic and thematic overall, with the exception of a few specific tracks that clearly mark a point in the journey.
Anne: Speaking about renewals. If there was one thing in the world you could change, what would it be and why?
"We need to end the differences and injustice"
Valter: If I could change one thing in the world, it would be to end the differences and injustice. We are all human, and the conflicts and divisions that separate us are senseless. As the themes of Radiant Thought emphasise, we should focus on helping each other out and working towards unity, rather than perpetuating conflict. There is too much hatred these days. A collective approach is what leads to genuine transcendence.
Anne: Thanks for taking the time! It's been a pleasure speaking with you!
Valter: Thank you so much! It has truly been a pleasure speaking with you as well. I appreciate you taking the time to discuss Radiant Thought and "Transcendence".
Radiant Thought Biography
Radiant Thought began in 2011 as the musical project of Valter Abreu. It emerged from a spontaneous collaboration with composer Stefan Sjöberg, during which the two created video game soundtrack covers and other arrangements. What started casually soon developed into a space for original compositions, shaped by major influences such as Nine Inch Nails, Tool, and Porcupine Tree.
The duo's journey started with their first track, "Transcending", but the project evolved significantly over time. After producing several pieces, Valter and Stefan experimented with new ideas, shifting from purely instrumental work to incorporating vocals and inviting various musicians to participate along the way.
In 2015, Radiant Thought entered a long hiatus as both members pursued individual artistic directions. Valter launched his experimental solo venture, SÍLENÍ, releasing a debut album in 2016 and beginning a career as a video game sound designer. Stefan focused on collaborating with different projects, further developing his skills as a composer and musician. Although they eventually lost contact, their early partnership continued to be a core part of Radiant Thought's identity.
By late 2019, Valter felt compelled to return to Radiant Thought, this time approaching it as a solo project with renewed focus. He rebuilt much of the existing material from scratch, creating a new collection of songs while remaining true to the project's original spirit.
In 2020, during the global COVID-19 pandemic, the album's demos reached completion, and Valter invited Baard Kolstad (Leprous) to record drums. Over the following two years, Miguel Pinto joined to record vocals, and by the end of 2023, Valter had finished the remaining elements, including guitars, bass, and synthesizers. The album was mixed in early 2024 by João Brandão at ARDA Recorders in Porto, Portugal, and mastered in August 2024 by Erik Peabody at Viking Guitar Productions in New York.
While the mixing process was underway, Valter reconnected with Stefan, who offered valuable input and shared his excitement about the direction the album was taking. Their shared origins and creative background continued to shape the essence of Radiant Thought.
Radiant Thought's debut album, "Transcendence", stands as the result of years of exploration and commitment. It marks the beginning of the project's artistic vision. Its songs are designed to evoke emotion, spark curiosity, and foster connection. The album reflects personal growth, resilience, and self-discovery, guiding us listeners through cycles of struggle and renewal.
