Black Metal

MERRIMACK Delve to Enigmatic Depths on “Dead and Distant Clamors”

Renowned French black metal entity MERRIMACK continues to unravel the enigmatic tapestry of their upcoming album, ‘Of Grace and Gravity’, with the release of their second single, Dead and Distant Clamors.

Diving into the abyss of existential questioning, Dead and Distant Clamors explores themes of cosmic disarray and the profound uncertainty that surrounds our existence. The intense lyrical journey confronts the forces that shape our world and the relentless struggles against the inevitable. MERRIMACK echoes a sonic barrier that mirrors the tumultuous nature of our lives, set against a backdrop of relentless black metal fury.

The lyrics, a poetic manifestation of cosmic chaos, delve into the mysteries of existence and challenge the established norms. Vocals lines like:
  
   “Who proclaims, who decides, who announces the end of the orations?“

and:
  
   “Captive of forms that vitrify again this side of reality.“

serve as thought-provoking inquiries into the very fabric of our existence as a species.

Dead and Distant Clamors presents MERRIMACK‘s signature blend of atmospheric black metal, intricate compositions, and raw, unbridled energy. The track unfolds like a dark cosmic ballet, invoking emotions that range from despair to defiance.

This new single can now be experienced by all:

‘Of Grace and Gravity’ is out March 8, 2024 on Season of Mist: Underground Activists.

Pre-order: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/MerrimackGraceGravity

Here’s what MERRIMACK have to say about the release of Dead and Distant Clamors:

“This song pays tribute to old-school black metal, embracing its desperate atmosphere and incorporating haunting, slow sections reminiscent of a depressive waltz. Guitars engage in a conversation around a hypnotic crescendo, while the vocals articulate the inevitable possibilities of decay. Expect nothing less than a pure homage to the essence of darkness.”

Track-list
1. Sulphurean Synods (6:42) [WATCH]
2. Sublunar Despondency (7:07)
3. Dead and Distant Clamors (5:35) [LISTEN]
4. Wounds that Heal (6:44)
5. Starving Crowns (8:05)
6. Under the Aimless Spheres (7:01)
7. Embalmer’s Wine (6:59)
Total: 48:13

MERRIMACK are back with their new album ‘Of Grace and Gravity’. Their third release for Season of Mist arrives after the re-print of their long sold-out debut ‘Ashes of Purification’, which followed the sizeable impact that their last album, ‘Omegaphilia’, had on the Black Metal Scene.

MERRIMACK can be categorised as extreme traditionalists that are driven by a burning desire to hone their skills and striving to bring their art to perfection. The band was founded by guitarist Perversifier a.k.a. Amfortas in 1994 with a clear vision to keep the black metal flame burning as an act of aesthetic terrorism – as adamantly based in the underground as opposed to any attempts to co-opt, commercialise or turn the style into a self-parody. Introduced by a number of demo recordings (‘Prologue’ – 1995, ‘Act 1’ – 1995, ‘Horns Defeat Thorns’ – 2001) and split releases (with Hirilorn in 1998 and Sargeist in 2002), the French gained respect in the scene by remaining true to their words.

Although MERRIMACK decided to reach out to a larger audience with the release of their first full-length ‘Ashes of Purification’, the Parisians did not sever their roots with the underground at any time. With the following albums, ‘Of Entropy and Life Denial’ (2006) and ‘Grey Rigorism’ (2009), MERRIMACK closed ranks with the most influential, active, and authentic acts of the French black metal scene. Their classic combination of harsh sound with epic structures appealed to critics and fans alike and put the band on their celebrated first US tour with MARDUK and NACHTMYSTIUM in 2009.

After recording ‘The Acausal Mass’ (2012) in the legendary Necromorbus Studio (WATAIN, DESTRÖYER 666) again, MERRIMACK embarked on a European tour with Norwegian icons MAYHEM and accepted invitations to prestigious festivals such as Hellfest in their native France, Germany’s Party-San Open Air and Summer Breeze as well as Montreal’s Messe des Morts in Canada. With their previous album, ‘Omegaphilia’, MERRIMACK were breathing fresh life into an exhausted genre. While ignoring epithets such as progressive, post-, and avant-garde, the French focused on razor-sharp songwriting, captivating melodies, and close to perfect arrangements.

The ensemble now presents their latest album ‘Of Grace and Gravity’, an aural journey where grotesque assemblies of roosters and goats languish at the foot of heavens. Wallowing guitars and hypnotized passages of blasting drums collide with gravity-bound atoms in oblivious occlusion. MERRIMACK, in their enigmatic mastery, expose the futility of belief in occult ministries and slashes at the mask of the sky. The listener, questioned in their faith of the shadows and occult idols. Dare believe in the sulfurous whispers echoing through this blackened masterpiece.

Line-up
Perversifier – Guitars
A.K. – Guitars
Blastum – Drums
Vestal – Vocals
Daethorn – Bass

Links:
Bandcamp: https://merrimack.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/merrimackofficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/merrimack666/
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/artist/99176
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3XWKabUW6Y9pm9vyNGlrhV
Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/artist/3642745
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/merrimack/41660594
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/music/player/artists/B000QKG2N8

Available Formats:
Digital Download
CD Digipak
12″ Vinyl Gatefold – Black
12″ Coloured Vinyl Gatefold – Transparent Clear
12″ Coloured Vinyl Gatefold – White
12″ Coloured Vinyl Gatefold – Transparent w/ Black Splatters

EIHWAR Announces European Dates

EIHWAR, a Viking duo that has forged an unbreakable bond within the revered ranks of Season of Mist.

Embarking on an epic journey, EIHWAR has sent shockwaves reverberating through the digital realm. Their unique offering, the extraordinary concoction known as ‘Viking War Trance,’ is a sonic fusion breathing life into pagan war songs, resounding drum beats, and the elegant interplay of woodwinds and strings. A mesmerizing musical alchemy, underscored by an irresistibly danceable rhythm, beckoning listeners into a trance of their own.

As the Viking duo descends upon Europe, EIHWAR invites you to immerse yourself in their mystical journey that blurs the lines between ancient folklore and pulsating trance. You can experience the mystique for yourself on the following dates all across Europe: 24 February: Millam, FR @ Les Fils D’Odin
16 March: Bourg-En-Bresse, FR @ La Nuit Des Sorcières
31 March: Mons, BE @ Trolls & Légendes
11 May: Lessay, FR @ Graf Zeppelin Festival
29 June: Clisson, FR @ Hellfest 2024
7, 8, 9, 10 August: Villena, ES @ Leyendas Del Rock

As EIHWAR officially joined the Season of Mist tribe in December of last year, the debut of their sonic saga – all 10 tracks – reverberates across streaming platforms, as well as digital downloads from our online store. The mystique of their primal ritual is further unveiled in the bewitching ceremony captured in the hit single ‘Berserk,’ an experience not to be missed and to be seen here:

Ragnarök Singles
1. Berserkr (4:04) [WATCH]
2. Fenrir (5:13)
3. Ragnar’s Last Raid (5:43)
4. Ragnarök (7:13)
5. Skjaldmö  (5:08)
6. The Feast of Thor (7:48)
7. The Forge (8:31)
8. The New Vikings (6:25)
9. Valhalla (8:52)
10. Yggdrasil’s Renewal (4:04)

Since its appearance on YouTube in February 2023, EIHWAR has shook the Internet and concert venues. Although no promotion has been made and nothing is known about its musicians, most of EIHWAR‘s concerts are sold out and we already know that the band will be scheduled at big European festivals in 2024.

Being part of a new generation of neo-Viking bands, they produce an empowering and brutal dancefloor music, composed of hybrid sounds, trance vocals, shamanic drums, traditional Nordic sounds and powerful machines. EIHWAR is sacrilegious. As the web already says, the duo is a kind of new ‘Viking Carpenter Brut’.

They are currently working on their first album which will be released before the end of 2024.

Ragnarök was produced, recorded and engineered by Saturne Mezzasalma and Antoine Aureche.

Mixing & Mastering by Saturne Mezzasalma and Antoine Aureche.

Line-up:
Asrunn (Vocals, Traditional Percussion)
Mark (Vocals, Drum Pads, Samples)


Follow EIHWAR:
www.eihwar.com
www.facebook.com/eihwar.music
www.instagram.com/eihwar.music
www.youtube.com/@eihwar
www.tiktok.com/@eihwar

NOCTURNAL SORCERY reveal second track from new KVLT album

Today, Finnish black metallers Nocturnal Sorcery reveal the new track “Beyond Salvation.” The track is the second to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated second album, Captive in the Breath of Life, set for international release on February 9th via KVLT. Hear Nocturnal Sorcery‘s “Beyond Salvation” in its entirety HERE.


Despite forming in 2011, it wasn’t until August 2022 when Nocturnal Sorcery made their full-length debut. Fittingly titled The Holy Law in Total Ruin, Nocturnal Sorcery‘s debut album in no uncertain terms laid forth a fiery-yet-freezing path for these Finns: paradigmatic Finnish BLACK METAL, but harkening to the ancient fires of the ’90s rather than more millennial expressions of such. Granted, the band by then were hardly “new” – prior, they’d done two demos and a split – but The Holy Law in Total Ruin scorched Nocturnal Sorcery‘s name into the black metal underground.

Now, a year and a half later, Nocturnal Sorcery return to torch that path once again with Captive in the Breath of Life. As doubtlessly presaged by its throwback cover artwork, Captive in the Breath of Life is about as authentically mid ’90s black metal as you’ll currently find in that clogged underground. The rudiments are largely the same – because, after all, black metal doesn’t need to “be” anything other than what it already is – but here do Nocturnal Sorcery dial back the melodicism for a quicker-hitting blast of ice-cold, hateful hypnosis. As such, the song lengths aren’t as epic as its predecessor and the ripped-raw execution is even more palpitating, but the sum effect is utterly stultifying: arguably more so than The Holy Law in Total Ruin, Captive in the Breath of Life fully sounds like some unearthed gem from 1995, cryogenic and rotting but boundlessly potent.

Nostalgic ears will paradoxically be warmed by Captive in the Breath of Life, while all others will cower when faced with these filthier spells of Nocturnal Sorcery. The line in the snow has been drawn, deeper than ever! To celebrate this reckoning, the band will perform an album-release show on February 10th in Vantaa, Finland with Poland’s Arkona and fellow Finns Black Beast and White Death.

Also hear the previously revealed “Redemption at Daybreak” HERE, also at KVLT‘s official YouTube channel. Aforementioned cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Nocturnal Sorcery’s Captive in the Breath of Life
1. The Dark Secret
2. Oath at Mt. Hermon
3. Cry of The Wounded Heaven
4. Captive In The Breath of Life
5. Spectral Force
6. Beyond Salvation
7. Joyless Dance in the Shadow
8. Redemption at Daybreak
9. Damned by The Law of The Stars
10. Lucifer’s Shade
11. Along the Path of Fire



DÖDSRIT set release date for new WOLVES OF HADES album, reveal first track

Today, Wolves of Hades announces March 22nd as the international release date for Dödsrit‘s highly anticipated fourth album, Nocturnal Will, on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats.
 
Shrouded in Gyllbergen’s mist, and the sentient essence of the nocturnal fire burning within, the hiking metalpunk horde Dödsrit hereby unveils its fourth beckoning, entitled Nocturnal Will.
 
With six hymns, Dödsrit purvey triumphant atmosphere, archaic strength, and mournful rejoice where every note reverberates with the weight of devotion and suffering.
 
Restless and visceral, these unhallowed tomes beckon the mournful chants from its resonant harmonious introduction to the victorious dagger in the very core of the cosmos under the celestial will of heroic bloodshed.
 
Utterly dynamic and organic, Nocturnal Will carries the elements of a record to be beheld through the ages. From feral wailing vocals, coupled with intricate guitar work – blazing with catchy-yet-somber melodic leads and acoustic lines – to the unrelenting rhythmic, percussive assault, a symbiotic maelstrom of sound is created with captivating and harrowing virtues.
 
Written in blood and fire, Nocturnal Will carries the nostalgia and grief of olden days into a new Aeon, with a will and command, a genuine fervor that shines beyond the burning ember and the smothering ash

In the meantime, hear the brand-new track “Celestial Will” here:

Presave link can be found HERE. Cover artwork, courtesy of Burney, and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Dödsrit’s Nocturnal Will

1. Irjala [10:37]
2. Nocturnal Fire [8:03]
3. Ember and Ash [0:45]
4. Utmed Gyllbergens Stig [4:33]
5. As Death Comes Reaping [10:45]
6. Celestial Will [8:29]

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/DODSRIT

Epic black metallers Hasturian Vigil release new track

Today, epic black metallers Hasturian Vigil premiere the new track “Ikaath the Seven Horned”. The track is the second to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated debut album, Unveiling the Brac’thal, set for international release on February 2nd via Invictus Productions. Hear Hasturian Vigil‘s “Ikaath the Seven Horned” in its entirety here:

Formed in the Dimension of Chains, with cosmic chaos and deathmagick, Hasturian VigilL seek to relinquish mortal ignorance with their brand of black metal, inspired by Mortuary Drape, Absu, Mercyful Fate, Negative Plane, and Zemial as well as a dose of classic heavy metal. Both familiar and foreign, the resultant four-song Unveiling the Brac’thal debut album comprises 33 minutes of epic, archaic splendor – labyrinths of majesty & malice that scourge the mind and body with equal relish. You want riffs? There are RIFFS. You want leads? There are LEADS. What about mystery and mysticism? Tons. A veritable bounty of black METAL, the Riddle of Steel draped in sensuous obsidian. 

Indeed, the Irish two-piece walk their own path across Unveiling the Brac’thal, conceptualizing an entirely original mythos, inspired by authors such as Lovecraft, Machen, Lord Dunsany, and Yeats. This “Yith-Melle” mythos is embraced with their fascination for cosmic dread, deranged pantheons, and unspeakable curses! Thus, the power-duo of Cxaathesz and Shygthoth strike both as guides and teachers, torches ablaze with illumination almost incomprehensible to mere mortals. Prepare for the preachings of Hasturian Vigil!


In the scriptures of mortal men, there exists a pallet of stars and flesh…
Yith-Melle, the dimension of chains…
Where the resonance of deathmagick spurted the cosmic architect, decorated in a million eyes and teeth…
The creator of plague and torment…
A crack in the world has opened…
To unveil the Brac’thal…


Also hear the previously revealed “Nine Bellowing Hounds” HERE at Invictus‘ Bandcamp. Cover artwork, courtesy of Canopic Ire, and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Hasturian Vigil’s Unveiling the Brac’thal
1. Ikaath the Seven Horned [10:08]
2. Apparitions of Torment [7:22]
3. Nine Bellowing Hounds [7:00]
4. Velvet Paintings Gaze [7:57]

MORE INFO:
hasturianvigil.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/hasturianvigil

www.invictusproductions.net

The Netherlands’ FUNERAL WINDS reveal first track from new OSMOSE album

Today, Dutch black metal institution Funeral Winds reveal the new track “Birthed by Pure Malevolence.” The track is the first to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated eighth album, 333, set for international release on January 26th via Osmose Productions. Hear Funeral Winds‘ “Birthed by Pure Malevolence” in its entirety here:

“This album is dedicated to He, whose name is three hundred and thirty three, and that thrice one.”

333 is the title of Funeral Winds‘ eighth studio album and refers to the Dweller in the Abyss, the Demon of Dispersion, also known as Choronzon. Seen as the last great obstacle between the adept and enlightenment, Choronzon needs to be faced to be able to move beyond the Abyss.

Stylistically, this album is raw and cold black metal that throws the grit right in your face. Funeral Winds stay true to the original values of black metal, hateful and relentlessly contemptuous in sound and vision.

Preorder link can be found HERE. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Funeral Winds (Netherlands)’ 333

1. Sovereign of Shadows [4:01]
2. Eternal Nightmare [6:02]
3. Cast the Gauntlet of Doom [4:01]
4. Ancient Wrath Unleashed [4:53]
5. The Damned Ones Shall Rise [3:52]
6. Forever Cursed and Bound [4:07]
7. Birthed By Pure Malevolence [4:23]
8. Conjuration of the Blind One [7:11]

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/FuneralWindsBM

www.osmoseproductions.com
www.facebook.com/Osmose-Productions-192865300755575

Finnish black metallers Hollow Woods premiere the new track “Night Burns Through” 

Today, Finnish black metallers Hollow Woods premiere the new track “Night Burns Through”. The track is the second to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated second album, Like Twisted Bones of Fallen Giants, set for international release on February 2nd via Signal Rex. Hear Hollow Woods‘ “Night Burns Through” in its entirety here:

In many ways, Like Twisted Bones of Fallen Giants is a natural continuation of Hollow Woods‘ debut album, Cold Winds Cleave the Earth, from 2021. Familiar elements – pure & proud BLACK METAL, done with personality and charisma – are recast in more varied ways. The production across the album is a bit more airy compared to that debut, but still far from overly polished. Likewise, overt aggression is dialed down a bit to make room for more epic passages, where acoustic guitar gives support to powerful clean vocals. As no doubt presaged by the album’s title, lyrical themes here deal with nature mysticism, atavism, and specifically slash-and-burn as a metaphor of personal growth unburdened by the past. For the first time, select passages of lyrics are published as ciphers for the song’s themes. To usher in Like Twisted Bones of Fallen Giants, Hollow Woods will be performing at the Howls of Winter fest in Estonia during February 2024.

Also hear the previously revealed “Burial Fires” HERE at Signal Rex‘s Bandcamp. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Hollow Woods’ Like Twisted Bones of Fallen Giants
1. Ancient Graves
2. Beneath the Dying Tower
3. Night Burns Through
4. Halls of Idle Breath
5. Interlude / Among Ruins
6. Burial Fires
7. Like Twisted Bones of Fallen Giants

MORE INFO
www.hollowwoods.bandcamp.com

www.signalrex.com
www.facebook.com/signalrex

ABERRATION / DIABOLIC OATH: “Divinations” Split 7″ – Announcement

In anticipation of greater, more horrific things to come in the new year, we proudly bring you the “Divinations” split 7” between Aberration and Diabolic Oath, two rising forces of US surrealistic extreme metal darkness. The twelve-minute split has been teased revealing a minute-long sample of each of the band’s respective tracks, remarking that the collaborative effort is “evil to the core, as raw and filthy as week-old roadkill, and as oppressive and abyssal as it is berserk, but it’s technically accomplished as well as disturbing and disorienting.“

This two-song declaration of war upon human psyche showcases the two US-based sorcerers of omnipotent aural terror in complete command of control of their respective crafts as they summon each their own staple idealization of humongous and hallucinatory black/death deformations. “Divinations” serves as a precursor and taste to what’s to come, namely the spring 2024 release of the bands’ two new full length albums, Aberration’s colossal “Refracture”, and Diabolic Oath’s still secretive but completed second full length abomination.

The Divinations split is officially slated for a January 5 2024 release date on 7″ vinyl and digital formats worldwide via Sentient Ruin

Aberration

Finland’s WHITE DEATH reveal new video, stream new WEREWOLF album ahead of release

Today, Finnish black metallers White Death reveal the new video “Deathstruction.” The song is a bonus track from the band’s highly anticipated second album, Iconoclast, set for international release on December 29th via Werewolf Records on CD and cassette tape formats; the vinyl LP version will follow next year. In advance of that release date, White Death‘s Iconoclast is now streaming in its entirety. See & hear the NSFW video for “Deathstruction” here:

Stream Iconoclast in its entirety here:

For a decade now, Finland’s White Death have built a small-yet-formidable canon of work that’s come to define modern underground black metal in their nation. It’s no secret that Finland has possessed one of the most potent black metal scenes from the early ’90s onward, and with each new generation that picks up the torch, some are contenders and others are just content to uphold “the Finnish sound.” White Death took their time with deploying demos and then their debut album, simply self-titled, but they occupied a unique position between those poles: steeped in noble tradition, but exuding a confidence and charisma that rendered White Death an exceptionally nasty work even with its considerably cleaner production. Three years of silence followed between the release of that debut album and the three-song Promo 2020, which included an Enochian Crescent cover – an inspired choice from an oft-unsung legend, and a portent of grandeur to come.

“Everyone knows the curse of the second album, because the first demo or album is always best,” smirks White Death frontman Vritrahn. “People ask and hope us to do this or do that, and when we put out a few preview songs, there were complaints about sound, for example. So, not to please anybody, we bought the smallest and worst-possible amplifiers from the second-hand store just to ruin fucking great riffs and drown all the best things on this album under muddy noise.” Black humor, perhaps, for White Death‘s forthcoming Iconoclast is anything but “worst-possible” or “muddy.” Rather, the Finns take the ripped-raw dungeonic recesses of the deepest catacombs of the ’90s black metal underground and raise them to triumphant, terrorizing heights. It’s a unique disconnect in that the soundfield (and, more so, execution) exudes rippling filth coupled with pulsing nastiness, but the songwriting itself surges with a majestic melodicism that’s equal parts euphoria and eulogy – or, rather, beautiful battle fury and its ultimate tragic ending. What’s more, they move at many speeds here, shifting with ease and elan; that White Death don’t solely stick to the stock Finnish Tempo and instead make their acceleration almost effervescent lends an even-more-unique quality to the album. As such, Iconoclast keeps their hearts authentically ablaze with the underground spirit whilst unshackling themselves from the ghettoized thinking that mostly serves to keep the mongrel hordes within safe, status-quo boxes. A record for Black Metal People, but those who hate Black Metal People: truly, Iconoclast!

“This new album is like the Anttila catalog,” concludes Vritrahn with yet more black humor. “They sell all kinds of shit, from toys to furniture. The Anttila underwear pages were the most masturbated magazine in Finland. If you know what to search, you can find it. You just need to try a bit harder to cum, but eventually, you will.”

Preorder info can be found HERE. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for White Death (Finland)’s Iconoclast
1. Born From the Unholy Fire (Part II)
2. Iconoclast
3. Aal Apam Li Aamnuk
4. Strife For Blood
5. Life in Death
6. To Die a Thousand Times
7. Summum Bestiae
8. Phosphoros
9. Concerto of Sodomy
10. Celestial

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/unholywhitedeath

www.werewolf.fi
www.facebook.com/werewolf.rex

VLTIMAS Announce European Tour Dates

VLTIMAS recently unveiled their upcoming album ‘EPIC’ with the release of the first single Miserere. To be released on the 15th of March, 2024 – VLTIMAS are ready to ascend to truly epic heights.

Now, VLTIMAS are ready to take to the stages across Europe, flexing their metal might to fans on seven unique dates in March of 2024.

VLTIMAS ‘EPIC’ European Tour2024
23 March: Enschede, NL @ Metropool [TICKETS]
24 March: Drachten, NL @ Iduna [TICKETS]
26 March: Hamburg, DE @ Logo [TICKETS]
27 March: Copenhagen, DK @ Hotel Cecil [TICKETS]
28 March: Fredericia, DK @ Tøjhuset [TICKETS]
29 March: Oslo, NO @ Inferno Fest [TICKETS]
31 March: Athens, GR @ Kyttaro Live

Tracklist
1. Volens Discordant (1:02)
2. EPIC (4:35)
3. Miserere (3:51) [WATCH]
4. Exercitus Irae (4:01)
5. Mephisto Manifesto (05:05)
6. Scorcher (03:21)
7. Invictus (5:30)
8. Nature’s Fangs (3:52)
9. Spoils of War (5:54)
Total runtime: 37:16

Extreme metal powerhouse VLTIMAS (pronounced ‘uhl-tuh-mas’) assault metaldom once more with their highly-anticipated sophomore album, EPIC, through Season of Mist. Featuring Norwegian guitarist Rune “Blasphemer” Eriksen (ex-Mayhem, Aura Noir), American vocalist David Vincent (ex-Morbid Angel), and Canadian drummer Flo Mounier (Cryptopsy), the multinational quintet, rounded out by Dutch bassist Ype TVS (ex-Dodecahedron) and Portuguese guitarist João Duarte (Corpus Christii), continue to venture down their path. Moored by strength and integrity, VLTIMAS fortified their signature with wicked invention, as applauded by Decibel Magazine, BangerTV, Louder, and many others, on their debut, Something Wicked Marches In (2019). Singles “Miserere,” “Scorcher,” and “Invictus” showcase a band of musicians at the top of their game, united in their pursuit of oneness.
“We wrote every bit of EPIC together at my ranch in Dime Box, Texas,” offers Vincent. “The writing sessions were as organic as they could be. There were times when, at the end of the night, Rune would take his guitar and play something ridiculous. Flo would play something even more ridiculous on top of it. I’d say to the guys, ‘I need to capture this.’ So, the magic [of VLTIMAS] is being in the same room together, discussing, playing, and recording music and everything else we’re doing together. We have unbelievable camaraderie.”

While the members of VLTIMAS are not atavists, their preferred creative methods are time-tested and battle-hardened. Technology has its place, but the group thrive when they’re together, not separated by the world. Eriksen, renowned as a riff innovator, is more effective when he’s got a highly capable sideman like Vincent or Mounier, whose drumming in Cryptopsy and his celebrated instructional Extreme Metal Drumming 101 DVD has proven to be a no-limits player, by his side. Whether it’s the moody, angular attack of “Miserere,” the wicked groove of “Mephisto Manifesto,” or the dark fury of “Nature’s Fangs,” the chemistry and enterprise of VLTIMAS is undeniable.

“The main goal [of VLTIMAS] is to be real,” Eriksen reveals. “To channel the very moment, to let true inspiration out. I don’t believe I ever set myself a goal on what an album should or needs to sound like before I or we write it because that means I have to compromise during the process. For EPIC, we focused on more direct songs, trimming the fat, as opposed to Something Wicked Marches In, which had a progressive and ‘playful’ flair.”

VLTIMAS was a profane concept—a constellation of riffs against a modest frame—when formed by Eriksen in 2015. After departing Mayhem in 2008 and putting his gothic doom outfit Ava Inferi to rest in 2013, the Norwegian’s fingers still itched with infernal fury. VLTIMAS was his vent, and when Mounier and Vincent joined, he finally had the cadre of professionals to make it a reality. Together, they devised complementary schemes and themes rooted in rightness. In a world gone mad, VLTIMAS had a vision. On Something Wicked Marches In, they commanded attention with metaphors about the apocalypse, the ancient goddess Lilith, and truth. Lyrically, EPIC spears into the very nucleus of strength through Vincent’s brio of double entendre and clever wordsmithing. The songs are designed to be heard, read, and interpreted—there are no shortcuts.

“Everything we’re doing and messaging is about strength and honor,” says Vincent. “These are the fundamentals that I incorporate into my life, which I believe in. I want to share with others, hoping they’ll incorporate strength and honor into their lives. I wouldn’t say I like spelling lyrics out. I use a lot of double meanings on purpose because I want to inspire the listener to think. I’m not a short attention span guy, and I don’t appreciate it. EPIC is holistic and meant to be experienced that way.”

EPIC was recorded by producer Jaime Gomez Arellano (Paradise Lost, Grave Miasma) with engineer Jonathan Mazzeo (First Fragment, Sickening) at Arda Recorders in Porto, Portugal. VLTIMAS tracked the album throughout May 2023. Arellano also handled the mix and master. Like everything the band does, the main goal was to be honest. The maxim of no sample replacement or re-amping—EPIC was captured on outboard gear—was adhered to and enjoyed by the team. The result is a sonic expression that sounds like nothing else. From the crushing title track to the epic musicality of closer “Spoils of War,” EPIC is an absolute beast.

“Stress, long walks, too much alcohol, yet very focused once in the recording mode,” Eriksen says of the sessions. “We booked a month, but somehow, that flew by instantly. We worked up until the very end. I even added a few solos at my local Soundscape Studio in Almada, Portugal. Art unfolds, and once you think you are done, there’s always another idea popping up.”

VLTIMAS brought Italian artist Daniele Valeriani (Mayhem, Unanimated) to visualize EPIC. The aesthetic, as illuminated by music and message, was iconic boldness. The three-eagle head crest with three different crowns, accompanied by transfigured symbols of the Passion and the “impossible triangle,” projects effortlessly. In EPIC, the group will dominate. There’s no escape from “Miserere,” “Mephisto Manifesto,” “Scorcher,” and “Invictus.” Together, they thrust, by resolve and inventiveness, VLTIMAS into the uppermost echelons of extreme metal.

“[EPIC is] old meets contemporary, a symbiosis of all the great things we love about extreme metal,” offers Eriksen. “All combined into one album.”

“I want to be as emotional and honest [with VLTIMAS],” Vincent adds. “I want to tell stories; I want to have the themes that appeal to me; I want to have some messaging that someone can take away, in this case, strength. EPIC is strength.”

Lineup
David Vincent – Vocals
Rune Blasphemer Eriksen – Guitars
Flo Mounier – Drums
Ype TVS – Bass
João Duarte – Guitars

Pre-save: https://orcd.co/vltimasepic

Pre-order: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/VLTIMASEPIC

Links:
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/vltimas/1445457453
Bandcamp: https://vltimas.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vltimas/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vltimas/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0kz64zyv2xtkdhboztpdwa
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/vltimas?lang=en

Available Formats:
Digital Download
CD Digipak
12″ Vinyl Gatefold – Black
12″ Coloured Vinyl Gatefold – Gold & Black Marbled
12″ Coloured Vinyl Gatefold – Transparent Red & Black Marbled
12″ Picture Vinyl