STRIGOI

STRIGOI release first single ‘Bathed in A Black Sun’

Strigoi were already plenty unsettling on their debut album. But the UK death-doom band’s follow-up pushed their grinding asphyxiations to such vile extremes, that it produced an abundance of putridity.

‘Bathed In A Black Sun’ includes four unreleased or exclusive songs from ‘Viscera’. Get re-acquainted with the pure, unadultered filth of the title track, which is slimed with sludge riffs and a crusty drum groove. 

Watch the horrifying new video for “Bathed In A Black Sun” here:

The ‘Bathed In A Black Sun’ EP comes out 3 November.

Pre-order: https://shop.season-of-mist.com/list/strigoi-bathed-in-a-black-sun
Pre-save: https://orcd.co/strigoibiabspresave

“We are pleased to finally do this, as ultimately ‘Bathed In A Black Sun’ as a track is lamentably all the more relevant today than it was when it was written”, says bassist Chris Casket. “We also wanted to release this EP as a companion to the album ‘VISCERA’, so finally all the tracks recorded during that studio session are available for all to ‘enjoy’ the extra cuts of raging spite and cold despair.”

Greg Mackintosh already had one side project from his main gig as the guitarist for Paradise Lost. But when Vallenfyre ran its course, he started Strigoi with bassist Chris Casket in hopes of dragging death and doom metal even further afield. 

‘Bathed In A Black Sun’ proves that Strigoi can mold nasty blackened death doom from anything – even their own remains

Track-list
1. Bathed in A Black Sun (4:19) [WATCH VIDEO]
2. The Grotesque (2:56)
3. Beautiful Stigmata (00:41)
4. A Spear of Perfect Grief (04:14)
5. The Construct of Misery (01:33)
Total runtime: 12:63

When Paradise Lost guitarist Greg Mackintosh put to rest his Vallenfyre side project in 2018, he closed a difficult, but ultimately cathartic period in his life. Created as a tribute to his father John, who passed away in 2009, Vallenfyre originally served as a sounding board for Greg’s grief, but then delved into his nihilistic take on the world. Vallenfyre’s brief existence was intentional — the band always knew they could go no further than the three studio albums that bore their name.

A mere few days after Vallenfyre played its last live show in September 2018, Mackintosh announced the formation of a brand-new band with Vallenfyre bassist Chris Casket (Ex. Extreme Noise Terror), Strigoi. The English twosome released their debut album Abandon All Faith on 22nd November 2019 which was met by widespread critical acclaim and support. From this success, the band began preproduction to take the project live, recruiting to the line-up drummer Guido Zima (Ex Implore / The Secret) and live guitarist Sam Kelly-Wallace (Ex Vallenfyre) to begin spreading their foreboding gospel throughout the European festival circuit.

Unfortunately, due to the global pandemic that hit Spring 2020 Strigoi were unable to perform live as planned, and realising this situation was going to be a long-term constraint Greg and Chris decided to begin writing for a second album. This 18-month process culminated in Strigoi signing to Season Of Mist records, then heading to Orgone Studios UK to track 14 brand new songs under the watchful eye of award winning producer Jamie Gomez Arellano.

The bands line up, now set with the addition of guitarist Ben Ash (Satyricon / Ex. Carcass) completed the recording of the album ‘Viscera’ in October 2021, subsequently mixed by Kurt Ballou at GodCity Studios and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege Studios. ‘Viscera’ represents the further evolution of Strigoi as a band, a concept fully realised as a statement of terror, malaise, and ultimately a record representing what Greg and Chris wanted to achieve from the band’s inception.

Their new ‘Bathed in Black Sun’ EP includes five unreleased songs from the recording sessions for ‘Viscera’. The title track is pure, unadulterated filth, slimed with sludge riffs and a crusty drum groove.

Recording Studio: Oregon Studios
Producer/Sound engineer: Jamie Gomez and Strigoi
Additional recording and production: Gregor Mackintosh at Black Planet Studios
Mixing studio/engineer: Kurt Ballou – Godcity Studios
Mastering studio/engineer: Brad Boatright – Audiosiege

Recording line-up:
Greg Mackintosh: Vocals and Guitar
Chris Casket: Bass
Guido Zima: Drums
Ben Ash: Guitar

Ross White – Guitar (Live)

Cover artwork: Brian Sheehan – Legerdemain Art

Pre-order: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/BathedInABlackSun
Pre-save: https://orcd.co/strigoibiabspresave

Follow Strigoi
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/strigoi/1477641031
https://strigoiofficial.bandcamp.com/album/viscera
https://www.facebook.com/strigoibandofficial/
https://www.instagram.com/strigoi_official/?hl=en
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6BUcX21YlCyGOUKXrNutei
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTUjPPERTRxYCMOYDbzMSAA
https://twitter.com/OfficialStrigoi

Formats:
CD Digipack
Digital Download

STRIGOI & BLACK ANVIL Announce Gimme Radio Specials

This week, GIMME RADIO will not air one, but two Season of Mist specials! The first one will feature blackened death doom outfit STRIGOI on November 15, followed by New York City black metal collective BLACK ANVIL on November 16!

The two-hour radio specials, hosted by the bands themselves, will air at 21:00 CET on those dates. You can tune in via the Gimme Radio website (for free) HERE! Both bands will be available in the live chat during their specials. 

ABOUT STRIGOI From death comes rebirth, as is such with STRIGOI. Formed in the ashes of VALLENFYRE by guitarist/vocalist Gregor Mackintosh (PARADISE LOST) and bassist Chris Casket, the experimental death metal formation is now unleashing their sophomore effort, ‘Viscera.’ This devastating brand of death metal pulls sludge and crust elements while lyrically, the album explores themes of both real and conceptual horror, coalescing into what can only be described as the ultimate mixtape of misery.

ABOUT BLACK ANVIL
Nearly six years after As Was made its mark, Black Anvil is returning with its aptly titled fifth full-length, ‘Regenesis.’ With a new record label, a new album, and a newfound exploration of dark and black metal, ‘Regenesis’ represents a new dawn for the New York City collective.

Make no mistake, ‘Regenesis’ is not a departure from Black Anvil’s identity, but rather serves as the latest progression in the band’s ever-evolving sound. The unrelenting and polished aggression hangs in the balance above dark melodic passages, presenting a dynamic soundscape that serves as the band’s most devastating and existential offering to date. This isn’t just black metal, this is NYBM.

ABOUT GIMME METAL
GIMME METAL TV combines the power of MTV-like linear broadcasting with livestreaming, and offers music videos, short form artist-created content, long form music documentaries, movies, and so much more.

Founded by digital music veterans from Apple Music, Google Play, Beats Music, and Napster, parent company GIMME Radio builds highly engaged communities for the passionate fan on a genre-by-genre basis. The company launched its first community in June of 2017: the world’s first 24/7 metal-focused service. Fans tune in to hear world class DJs playing metal they can’t hear anywhere else – for free.

The GIMME METAL app and streaming radio service allows the fans and the DJs/artists to communicate directly with one another in a live feed, in real-time, while they listen. Its roster of 70-plus DJs includes Dave Mustaine of Megadeth, Jessica Pimentel, star of Orange Is The New Black, Brian Posehn, and Randy Blythe of Lamb Of God, among many others.

STRIGOI release third new track of ‘Viscera’

Blackened Death Doom outfit STRIGOI are now proudly releasing their brand new single ‘An Ocean of Blood’, which is taken from the band’s upcoming album “Viscera”. The track can now be listened to here:

The album is set for worldwide release on September 30, 2022 via Season of Mist and can already be pre-saved HERE. Pre-orders are still live HERE.

STRIGOI comment: “We chose this track as the third single taken from our new album VISCERA due to it’s almost cinematic take on the internal and external conflict of existence. A transformational journey into the bloodshed and horror of the human condition.”

The cover artwork for ‘Viscera’, which has been created by Brian Sheehan of Legerdemain Art, can be found below along with the track-list and further album details.

Track-list
1. United in Viscera (6:44)
2. King of All Terror (2:38) [LISTEN]
3. An Ocean of Blood (4:13) [WATCH]
4. Napalm Frost (2:26)
5. Hollow (6:20) [WATCH]
6. A Begotten Son (3:51)
7. Bathed in a Black Sun (4:19)
8. Byzantine Tragedy (5:28)
9. Redeemer (2:38)
10. Iron Lung (7:55)
Total: 46:32

Unsettling: it’s a word which can be used to describe a good swathe of the music which has come from the mind of Greg Mackintosh over the years, but in the context of Strigoi, it feels particularly apt.

Formed immediately after previous side project Vallenfyre had run its course, Strigoi found Greg and Vallenfyre bassist Chris Casket reconfiguring the aesthetics of that band. Their 2019 debut, Abandon All Faith, was a notable transition, taking the crust punk, death metal and grind influences which had defined Vallenfyre and deriving from those an extreme music amalgam which was altogether more…well, unsettling.

But if Abandon All Faith was a record where the memory of Vallenfyre exerted an inevitable, but important, influence, then second album Viscera is where Strigoi define and express themselves on their own terms.

“It’s the second album and we’re pushing those limits,” says Chris Casket. “The longer songs are longer; the shorter songs are shorter. It’s fully realising the concept. When we did the first album, there were certain expectations as we were coming from Vallenfyre. I felt that it was a really good transition from one to the other. But I feel that with this record, it’s more of a fully fleshed out concept. It’s pushing the light and shade further out.”

“The first album was us giving it its own identity separate from Vallenfyre, even though it’s kind of an obvious continuation, in a way,” adds Greg. “But with Viscera, it’s a combination of pushing the envelope a little bit, making it a bit less raw. Because, we had done that to the Nth degree with Vallenfyre. I’d also say there’s a bit of sound design in there, too, to make it very creepy and, yes, unsettling, sound wise.”

With Covid thwarting Strigoi’s plans to do shows to promote Abandon All Faith, Greg and Chris used the down-time to work on what would eventually become Viscera.

“We have a strange way of working,” says Chris. “I will send words, prose, whatever it may be to Greg. He likes that process, because he reads what I’ve written and it inspires the music he comes up with. I’ve never worked that way before. But that and the added time we had, the space away from things, is what I think has made Viscera what it is.”

Greg adds, “If it’s a song where Chris’ lyrics sound angry, I’ll do a song that’s more, I guess, grounded in the essence of early grindcore. Something that expresses that mood. But if it’s something more sombre or unnerving, then I’ll start with a bit of sound design and work towards riffs. I’ve always thought of music in terms of visuals, and that might come from the lyrics. The last song on the album, ‘Iron Lung’, for example: I actually said to Chris that I had an idea for a song where it feels that you can’t breathe, that it feels like you’ve got a weight on your chest. And the result is probably the toughest going song on the record to get through. But I think it does get that across.”

Viscera, then, clearly defines the Strigoi sound and vision – as Chris says, it’s a “mix tape of misery” and points at ways in which the band may develop in the years ahead.

“I get bored easily,” Greg laughs. “I’ve got a very short attention span. I love doom metal, I love funeral doom, crust punk, grindcore…all these things. But usually after two songs of each I’m thinking, ‘Right, what’s next?’ And that’s my problem, but it does determine what this band and this music is like.”

“There’s not much light on this record at all. If there’s any, it’s there just to emphasise how dark the shade is, really. And what I loved about early death metal, which is when I got into it, is that everything had its own feel back then. That was at the back of my mind the whole time when making Viscera – that I wanted to give it its own feel. But the listeners are going to have to decide whether that was successful or not.”

www.facebook.com/strigoibandofficial
www.instagram.com/strigoi_official

Recording Studio: Oregon Studios
Producer/Sound engineer: Jamie Gomez and Strigoi
Mixing studio/engineer: Kurt Ballou – Godcity Studios 
Mastering studio/engineer: Brad Boatright – Audiosiege


STRIGOI release first track and album details of ‘Viscera’

Blackened Death Doom outfit STRIGOI are now proudly releasing their brand new single ‘Hollow’, which is taken from the band’s upcoming album “Viscera”. The track, which comes in the form of an official music video, can now be viewed here:

The album is set for worldwide release on September 30, 2022 via Season of Mist and can already be pre-saved HERE.

Pre-orders are now live HERE.

STRIGOI comment: We chose HOLLOW as the first video single as it lends itself perfectly to giving the listener a broad overview of VISCERA. 
It’s dark, brooding yet violent cinematic qualities allude to the delightful misery contained within the new album.
A scathing commentary on human weakness, we feel HOLLOW typifies the evolution of STRIGOI, as a band and as a concept.
It was also a perfect fit for the amazing videography work of Dehn Sora, who has presented a remarkable visual interpretation of the track.

The cover artwork for ‘Viscera’, which has been created by Brian Sheehan of Legerdemain Art, can be found below along with the track-list and further album details.

Track-list
1. United in Viscera (6:44)
2. King of All Terror (2:38)
3. An Ocean of Blood (4:13)
4. Napalm Frost (2:26)
5. Hollow (6:20) [WATCH]
6. A Begotten Son (3:51)
7. Bathed in a Black Sun (4:19)
8. Byzantine Tragedy (5:28)
9. Redeemer (2:38)
10. Iron Lung (7:55)
Total: 46:32

Unsettling: it’s a word which can be used to describe a good swathe of the music which has come from the mind of Greg Mackintosh over the years, but in the context of Strigoi, it feels particularly apt.

Formed immediately after previous side project Vallenfyre had run its course, Strigoi found Greg and Vallenfyre bassist Chris Casket reconfiguring the aesthetics of that band. Their 2019 debut, Abandon All Faith, was a notable transition, taking the crust punk, death metal and grind influences which had defined Vallenfyre and deriving from those an extreme music amalgam which was altogether more…well, unsettling.

But if Abandon All Faith was a record where the memory of Vallenfyre exerted an inevitable, but important, influence, then second album Viscera is where Strigoi define and express themselves on their own terms.

“It’s the second album and we’re pushing those limits,” says Chris Casket. “The longer songs are longer; the shorter songs are shorter. It’s fully realising the concept. When we did the first album, there were certain expectations as we were coming from Vallenfyre. I felt that it was a really good transition from one to the other. But I feel that with this record, it’s more of a fully fleshed out concept. It’s pushing the light and shade further out.”

“The first album was us giving it its own identity separate from Vallenfyre, even though it’s kind of an obvious continuation, in a way,” adds Greg. “But with Viscera, it’s a combination of pushing the envelope a little bit, making it a bit less raw. Because, we had done that to the Nth degree with Vallenfyre. I’d also say there’s a bit of sound design in there, too, to make it very creepy and, yes, unsettling, sound wise.”

With Covid thwarting Strigoi’s plans to do shows to promote Abandon All Faith, Greg and Chris used the down-time to work on what would eventually become Viscera.

“We have a strange way of working,” says Chris. “I will send words, prose, whatever it may be to Greg. He likes that process, because he reads what I’ve written and it inspires the music he comes up with. I’ve never worked that way before. But that and the added time we had, the space away from things, is what I think has made Viscera what it is.”

Greg adds, “If it’s a song where Chris’ lyrics sound angry, I’ll do a song that’s more, I guess, grounded in the essence of early grindcore. Something that expresses that mood. But if it’s something more sombre or unnerving, then I’ll start with a bit of sound design and work towards riffs. I’ve always thought of music in terms of visuals, and that might come from the lyrics. The last song on the album, ‘Iron Lung’, for example: I actually said to Chris that I had an idea for a song where it feels that you can’t breathe, that it feels like you’ve got a weight on your chest. And the result is probably the toughest going song on the record to get through. But I think it does get that across.”

Viscera, then, clearly defines the Strigoi sound and vision – as Chris says, it’s a “mix tape of misery” and points at ways in which the band may develop in the years ahead.

“I get bored easily,” Greg laughs. “I’ve got a very short attention span. I love doom metal, I love funeral doom, crust punk, grindcore…all these things. But usually after two songs of each I’m thinking, ‘Right, what’s next?’ And that’s my problem, but it does determine what this band and this music is like.”

“There’s not much light on this record at all. If there’s any, it’s there just to emphasise how dark the shade is, really. And what I loved about early death metal, which is when I got into it, is that everything had its own feel back then. That was at the back of my mind the whole time when making Viscera – that I wanted to give it its own feel. But the listeners are going to have to decide whether that was successful or not.”

www.facebook.com/strigoibandofficial
www.instagram.com/strigoi_official