Norwegian progressive death/black metal outfit In Vain have left a parting gift for 2025 and, in honor of late vocalist Sindre Nedland, are sharing the release of his final solo album, Embers. The record was completed just days before Nedland’s passing in March 2025, and it was released on Friday (12th). It marks a bittersweet close to the year, a tribute to Nedland, and a dedication to what he left behind after losing a battle to cancer, his wife and children.
Cancer changes the trajectory of a life long before it ends one. I’ve seen it from every possible angle–losing my mother, carrying a child while navigating my own diagnosis, and confronting what survival can take from you. It rearranges your priorities in a way that feels both involuntary and permanent. It also alters how you perceive anyone who creates something meaningful while living inside that reality. This is why the posthumous release of Embers, the final solo work of Sindre Nedland, hits with uncommon weight.
Nine months after his passing, his bandmates released a statement addressing the project he completed in the last stretch of his life. What makes Embers remarkable isn’t simply that he made music while ill; it’s that he made something fully formed and unmistakably his. He didn’t retreat. He worked methodically with people close to him, and privately, until the music reflected exactly what he wanted.
He finished it days before he died. He approved every detail. The vinyl was pressed afterward, though he never saw the physical copy. Instead, the first test pressing was cremated with him, a choice that feels so much less symbolic than practical: the music belonged to him, and this was its final proximity. The release includes a limited run of 200 vinyl copies, with all proceeds going to his children. That detail might sound logistical, but it speaks to the larger shape of what remains when someone is gone. The music is for anyone who will listen. The impact is on the people who share his actual life.
Embers is available now. You can stream it, analyze it, or simply sit with it. But more than anything, you can listen knowing it was made by someone who refused to let illness dictate the final version of himself.
Read the band’s full statement below:
“A Final Farewell: Sindre Nedland’s ‘Embers‘ – His Voice Lives On
Today, nine months after we said goodbye to our beloved brother, we share something deeply precious with you – Sindre’s final musical creation. In his last months, even as he faced his greatest battle, Sindre poured his soul into crafting “Embers,“ a solo album that stands as his parting gift to the world.
Working through his illness with unwavering determination, he shaped “Embers“ into something beautiful and true, a testament to his artistic spirit that refused to dim even in the darkest hours. Crafted during his battle with cancer and completed with the help of close friends and family, Embers radiates both vulnerability and strength. It blends melancholic rock, atmospheric arrangements, and Sindre’s signature vocal range – from ethereal to visceral. With this album, Sindre stepped into the spotlight, not just as a performer, but as a songwriter and creative visionary.
The album is dedicated to his wife and his children and to the beauty of creation in the face of unrest. It was completed just days before his passing and sent to press with Sindre’s full creative approval. He never saw the physical vinyl, but he was cremated with the first test press – a final act binding man and music forever.
Embers is available on all streaming platforms, with a strictly limited vinyl pressing of 200 copies. All proceeds will go directly to Sindre’s children. We invite you to listen, to remember, and to let Sindre’s voice carry you one more time.”
