Month: October 2024

The masters of aural hellfire, 1349, are set to carve their infamous runes deeper into the chronicles of black metal history with their forthcoming release, The Wolf and The King. This eighth sonic obliteration unfurls eight brutal tracks that are a testament to their unrelenting ferocity and mastery over chaos and carnage.

This latest offering, a tempestuous journey through blistering aggression and ambient malevolence, epitomizes 1349‘s relentless pursuit of the darker arts. Recorded between the arcane sanctuaries of Amper Tone in Oslo and New Constellation R.M.P. in Orlando, Florida, and forged by the anvil of Ravn and Jarrett Pritchard, The Wolf and The King blends primordial energy with modern chaos.

From the opening onslaught of The God Devourer to the ominous gravitas in Shadow Point, this album is a portal into realms where shadows devour the weak, and transformation reigns supreme. Tracks like Ash of Ages, melding thrash with extreme black metal, and Inferior Pathways, delivering classic headbanging riffs, create an iron spine that will have the masses headbanging into oblivion.

Lyrically, The Wolf and The King traverses the perilous expanses of the Abyss, entwining themes of alchemical riddles, astral projections, and ancient epignosis. It charts a harrowing course of transformation through destruction, liberation, and mind expansion. This is not mere music; it’s a ritual, a testament to the relentless evolution at the heart of black metal.
The Wolf and The King is out this Friday, October 4th,  on Season of Mist.

➤ Pre-order & Pre-save: https://orcd.co/1349thewolfandtheking

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) [LISTEN]
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/

Available Formats:
Digital Download
CD ​Digipak
​12″ Vinyl Gatefold – Black
12″ Colored Vinyl Gatefold – Clear
12″ Colored Vinyl Gatefold – Clear & Black
12″ Colored Vinyl Gatefold – Gold & Black
12″ Colored Vinyl Gatefold – Transparent Red & Black