The relentless beast that is 1349 emerges once again from the frosty abyss, delivering The Wolf and The King’s harrrowing new single – The God Devourer.
Carved from the frozen landscapes of Norway, 1349 have etched their mark upon the black metal pantheon, wielding their instruments like war-axes in the vanguard of the genre’s relentless assault. With a legacy drenched in the blood of aural extremities, they have become the standard-bearers of unyielding sonic warfare, relentless in their pursuit of the darker arts. The Wolf and The King is set to expand the parameters of the genre, infusing it with an atmosphere of apocalyptic elegance.
The God Devourer is a towering example of the infernal craft, a blasphemous symphony forged in the heart of the blackened abyss. With lyrics penned by Svartalv and music conjured by Archaon, this track is a ritualistic passage through the veils of torment and revelation. The invocation begins with a summons to the beasts of the cosmos, where darkness penetrates all light. Each riff is a dagger, each blast beat a crucible, crossing fields of fire and carving paths in bone. The song’s relentless pace drags you through the hidden realms, breaching the gates of the seven realms with the spell-fire that consumes the soul. The God Devourer is an experience of striding diabolic galaxies and embracing the equinox of gods. It perfectly captures the timeless aggression and astral darkness that is 1349, unleashing a wave of aural hellfire that scorches all who dare to listen.
The Wolf and The King delves deep into the abyss, exploring themes of transformation through destruction, liberation, and mind expansion, traversing realms of alchemical riddles and ancient mysteries.
The Wolf and The King is out October 4th on Season of Mist.
➤ Pre-order & Pre-save: https://orcd.co/1349thewolfandtheking
| In a union that promises to reshape the contours of black metal, Norwegian titans 1349 will be joining forces with the revered Kampfar for the highly anticipated 1349 & Kampfar – 2024 EU Co-Headline Tour. A ceremonial gathering of black metal’s most fervent apostles, ready to spread the gospel of Aural Hellfire and pagan might across Europe.1349 & Kampfar Co-Headline – 2024 EU Tour: 01 October: Leipzig, DE @ Anker 02 October: Berlin, DE @ SO36 03 October: Aarhus, DK @ Voxhall 04 October: Gothenburg, SE @ Filmstudion 05 October: Stockholm, SE @ Kolletkivet Livet 07 October: Helsinki, FI @ Aaniwalli 08 October: Tallinn, EE @ Helitehas 09 October: Riga, LV @ Melna Piektdiena 10 October: Warsaw, PL @ Proxima 11 October: Kraków, PL @ Kamienna 12 12 October: Vienna, AT @ Vienna Metal Meeting 13 October: Budapest, HU @ Barba Negra 15 October: Prague, CZ @ Futurum 16 October: Munich, DE @ Backstage 17 October: Milano, IT @ Slaughter Club 18 October: Colmar, FR @ Le Grillen 19 October: Aarburg, CH @ Musigburg 20 October: Oignies, FR @ Tyrant Fest 22 October: Weiher, DE @ Live Music Hall 23 October: Paris, FR @ Le Petit Bain 24 October: Bochum, DE @ Zeche 25 October: Amstelveen, NL @ P60 26 October: Maastricht, NL @ Samhain Festival |
Tracklist
1. The God Devourer (5:10) [WATCH]
2. Ash of Ages (5:27) [LISTEN]
3. Shadow Point (3:40) [WATCH]
4. Inferior Pathways (4:28)
5. Inner Portal (5:08)
6. The Vessel and The Storm (5:15)
7. Obscura (3:44)
8. Fatalist (5:51)
Total runtime: 39:01
1349 is not like other bands. It’s not a group of friends who decided to make music together. 1349 is a band formed with a unified vision and specific purpose: To maintain the legacy of black metal.
“I didn’t like the direction that black metal took in the mid part of the ’90s,” 1349 vocalist and mastermind Ravn recalls. “It started losing everything that I liked about black metal—the grimness, the eeriness, the primal emotions that captivated me and brought me into that sphere. You had all these synthesizer-based bands dressing up in pirate shirts and looking like goths. It ruined something that I truly hold close to my heart.”
In 1997, Ravn formed 1349 and recruited bassist Seidemann and, now former, guitarist Tjalve to help him pursue the vision of recapturing the original spirit of black metal. The longstanding lineup of Ravn, Seidemann, guitarist Archaon, and drummer Frost (also of Satyricon) has been in place since 2001. “I found people that felt the same way as me,” Ravn says of his bandmates. “We wanted to bring back the trademark of Norwegian black metal, as it was presented in the early 90s. Every time we release an album, that’s the inspiration and the backdrop.”
The Wolf and the King is the latest sortie in that crusade.1349’s eighth album sees the Oslo-based band harnessing the primordial energy of black metal’s decade-defining second wave and channeling it through ancient mysteries and the relentless global chaos of the 2020s.
The album title comes from a classic alchemical allegory: A wolf devours a king. Then the wolf is devoured by flames, and a new king rises from the ashes. “When I first heard about alchemy when I was young, it was people turning metal into gold,” Ravn says. “Further down the road, through various literatures and magical practices, I realized that what you’re turning into gold is metaphorical. It’s about personal development, basically. You want to be the best you can be, and that’s what we try to do as well. We try to top ourselves, to kill our egos in order to grow as persons. If you don’t do that, you will die. You will not rise from the ashes.”
Lead single “Ash of Ages” combines thrash with extreme metal flourishes and a proper doomsday theme. “The song is based on a story I read about a layer of ash that covered the Earth 12,000 years ago,” Ravn explains. “This layer of ash comes from a meteorite that struck the Earth during the Ice Age. It melted a lot of the ice, which is where the Great Flood came from. The Great Flood is in the Bible, but it was written about in every ancient culture. The theory is that it washed away a lot of other ancient cultures that held a higher intelligence level than those that were found after the flood. So, it possibly set human civilization back many thousands of years.”
Released as a one-sided maxi-12” with a flipside etching by Jordan Barlow—who did all the artwork for The Wolf and the King (as well as the band’s 2019 album, The Infernal Pathway)—“Ash of Ages” is also a warning to check your ego. “To think that you’re important, that you’re anything but an ant down there, is futile,” Ravn points out. “In the end, everything will be washed away, and nothing will be left.”
“Shadow Point” comes complete with a video and revisits the sonic domain of The Infernal Pathway with a classic headbanger groove. “This one references the Star of Algol, or ‘the Demon Star,’” Ravn offers. “It’s actually two stars that revolve around each other, and the small one is devouring the big one. Human beings have seen this star from early ages, and it has had many names over the years. It’s a known part of the magical world, so I wanted to include it in a song.”
Shot through with menace and a snaky groove, album opener “The God Devourer” will also have a video. “The lyrics are based on the alchemical principle of devouring all that you feel is in your way of becoming a better human,” Ravn says. “It sets the ominous tone for the whole album.”
Recorded at Amper Tone in Oslo, Norway, and New Constellation R.M.P. in Orlando, Florida, The Wolf and the King was produced and mixed by Ravn and Jarrett Pritchard (Eulogy, Pulchra Morte), the band’s long-standing sonic wizard who also worked on their previous two albums. The lyrics were written by the band’s longtime wordsmith, Svartalv, who has been working with 1349 for twenty years.
Jordan Barlow’s elaborate artwork for The Wolf and the King reflects the album’s chronological position in 1349’s discography. “This is our eighth album, and the artwork and lyrics are filled with references to this number of infinity,” Ravn explains. “You can basically go on a quest finding references to the number in the artwork.”
All told, The Wolf and the King is the exalted output of the joint force that is 1349. “We all work together to make the best black metal possible every time we release an album,” Ravn says. “This is our common goal. We’re a band on a mission.”
Line-up
Archaon – Guitars
Frost – Drums
Ravn – Vocals
Seidemann – Bass
Recording Studio
Amper Tone (Oslo, Norway) & NEW CONSTELLATION R.M.P. (Orlando, USA)
Production Credits
Produced by Jarrett Prichard & Ravn
Mixed by Jaerrett Prichard & Ravn at NEW CONSTELLATION R.M.P.
Mastered by Jaerrett Prichard at NEW CONSTELLATION R.M.P.
Biography
J. Bennett
Cover Art
Jordan Barlow
Pre-order & Pre-save:https://orcd.co/1349thewolfandtheking
Links/Follow Artist:
Official Website: http://www.legion1349.com/
Bandcamp: http://1349som.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1349official
Instagram: http://instagram.com/1349official
Twitter: http://twitter.com/1349official
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/1349auralhellfire
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/150xbiJGnTy1tSBZ9EFKnT
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/artist/10673
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/1349/79664050
TIDAL: https://tidal.com/browse/artist/22185
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/1349/e/B001LHI2SI/