Phantom Spell is the progressive heavy metal project of British singer, guitarist and composer Kyle McNeill, also known as the vocalist and guitarist of traditional heavy metal band Seven Sisters. Founded in 2021 and currently based in Murcia, Spain, the project began as a solitary studio outlet through which McNeill could combine the grandeur of 1970s progressive rock with the direct songwriting, guitar harmonies and dramatic character of classic heavy metal.
McNeill introduced Phantom Spell with the single Keep On Running in 2021, followed by the debut album Immortal’s Requiem in 2022. Written, performed, recorded and mixed largely by McNeill himself, the album established a fantasy-rich sound built around melodic guitar work, keyboards, theatrical vocals and extended arrangements. Further releases, including The Phantom’s Spell, Tales from the Black Spire and the streaming release Palantíri, expanded the project’s imagined world while connecting progressive rock with traditional and epic heavy metal.
The second full-length album, Heather & Hearth, arrived in 2025 through Cruz Del Sur Music and McNeill’s Wizard Tower Records. Its longer compositions broadened Phantom Spell’s sound through Hammond-style keyboards, acoustic passages and stronger British folk influences. Inspired partly by the landscapes and cultural memory of northern England, the album includes an adaptation of Old Pendle, a song associated with Lancashire’s Pendle Hill.
Although Phantom Spell originated as a one-person recording project, McNeill subsequently assembled a live formation to bring the material to the stage. The project has since developed into a touring act while retaining McNeill’s independently produced, highly personal approach in the studio.
