“And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.” (Rev. 8:10, 11).
Today, Saturnal Records announces January 15th, 2021 as the international release date of a special live album from Embrace of Thorns, Revelation of All Sins, on CD+DVD format.
Emerging in the late ‘90s from western Athens as Requiem, only to be soon renamed to the more apt Embrace of Thorns, the Greek Temple of Black Death has been championing death for more than 20 years.
Having released five albums on labels such as Nuclear War Now! and Iron Bonehead plus an arsenal of demo tapes and split releases, Embrace of Thorns has been acknowledged as a force to be reckoned with. Their poison, a highly atmospheric and dense amalgam of death and black metal, has been gaining momentum since the release of their acclaimed sophomore album, Atonement Ritual, in 2009. Their third full-length, 2011’s Praying for Absolution, considered by many as their magnum opus, saw them fully embracing their potential and pontificating knowledge through strife. Their latest offering, 2018’s Scorn Aesthetics, was unanimously hailed and celebrated as arguably their ripest album, an idiosyncratic mix of somber, melodious, yet punishing Black Metal of Death that relies heavily on the organic mood of the performances and production.
On the live front, Embrace of Thorns has likewise been a force to be reckoned with since 2009, having performed at various festivals around Europe and the United States. On that live front, the dense, suffocating, and oppressive trappings of their sound seem more pronounced. With relentless drumming, crushingly heavy guitar tones, and abominable vocals, their material gets re-interpreted and is transformed to a vile celebration of all things morbid.
Revelation of All Sins combines audio and video performances from two professionally captured shows. The audio CD, titled The Fall of Athens, was recorded live in Athens at Kyttaro club in 2015, from Embrace of Thorns’ historical show with Dead Congregation and Nigredo, while the DVD was professionally recorded and filmed by Necrokatarsis, when the band visited Vilnius, Lithuania for Armageddon Descends festival.
Both shows were mixed and mastered by Herald of Demonic Pestilence, and while the performances are left untouched, the final product is the best representation one could have from the band as a live act. Embrace of Thorns’ modus operandi doesn’t rely on gimmickry, but they fully embrace the spirit of old, when black metal was about embracing one’s own demons and spewing them forth, unharnessed and ferocious, while onstage.
Holiness has indeed expired… Experience the expiration of holiness with the live track “Atonement Ritual
Cover artwork, courtesy of Gilbert Miranda, and full tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for Embrace of Thorns’ Revelation of All Sins
LIVE CD:
THE FALL OF ATHENS
27-12-2015
1. Intro / Praying For Absolution
2. Sons Of Fire And Brimstone Levitate!
3. My Hermetic Quest For Thy Blackest Temple
4. Darkness Impenetrable
5. Atonement Ritual
6. Tombs Of The Desecrated Zealots
7. Debris Crowns His Earthly Wombs
8. Perished In Mortal Agony / Second Death
9. Sempiternally Cursing The Weak
10. Aiwaz Arisen/ Outro
LIVE DVD:
LIVE AT ARMAGEDDON DESCENDS V
22-4-2017 Vilnius, Lithuania
1. Erect Bloodstained Totems
2. Praying For Absolution
3. Sons Of Fire And Brimstone Levitate!
4. Venom In Veins
5. Passionate Destroyer
6. Debris Crowns His Earthly Worms
7. Atonement Ritual
8. Tombs Of The Desecrated Zealots
9. Sempiternally Cursing The Weak
10. Perished In Mortal Agony / Second Death
MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/EmbraceOfThorns