VÖLUR have premiered the second track taken from their forthcoming full-length “Death Cult“, which has been slated for release on November 13th. The song ‘Dead Moon’ is now available for immediate publication at the link below.
https://youtu.be/-lxlDXsP1zQ
VÖLUR offer a glimpse of the musical vision behind ‘Dead Moon’: “A priest stands before you, clad in white, bearing a silver blade”, writes mastermind Lucas Gadke. “Above you climbs the full moon. We gather to stretch across endless miles and cleave the moon from the face of night. Again and again the dead moon sets and rises and dawn will not show her face. Melody upon melody. Scream upon scream the ritual builds to a fever pitch. Strings upon strings, voice on voice.”
Referring to the music, Lucas adds: “We present to you ‘Dead Moon’, the second single from our upcoming album ‘Death Cult’, in which you will find our very own blend of baroque counterpoint and funeral doom. This is possibly our most ‘classical’ sounding track yet. The extended introduction weaves cello, organ, violin, and double bass to create an eerie atmosphere, which is culminating in a kind of IRON MAIDEN violin/’twin guitar’ harmony. Basically, we wanted to see what would happen, if you mixed neo-classical and CORRUPTED. I’m quite pleased with the results and I hope that you will enjoy it too. This song arrives just in time for Halloween.”
Tracklist
1. Inviolate Grove
2. Dead Moon
3. Freyjan Death Cult
4. Reverend Queen
To the casual listener, VÖLUR might ‘just’ appear to write great doom songs with an avant-garde approach using elements from folk, classical music and free jazz. Those delving deeper into “Death Cult” will discover a singular dark world where ancient ritual becomes modern angst, a violin has replaced all guitars, and a multitude of fascinating lyrical and musical discoveries awaits.
The third full-length of the Canadian trio from Toronto was partly inspired by a suggestion of human sacrifice that Tacitus relates in his book “Germania”. According to the Roman historiographer, the Germanic tribes of the Baltic Sea worshipped the earth goddess Nerthus by a mysterious ritual that ended with the drowning of four slaves. “I came to the realisation that this sacrifice to some never answering deity is a repeating cycle of people doing something that does nothing to solve real problems and only leaves dead people behind”, explains VÖLUR vocalist and bass player Lucas Gadke. “This makes ‘Death Cult’ probably the closest thing to a political album we will ever come up with. It is basically a lament for all the destruction, the burning, and gnawing away of this planet’s natural environment. Again, humankind appears to be stuck in a futile vicious cycle until it is too late.”
The theme of a lament is running through the musical side of “Death Cult”, which is denoted by outbursts of anger, moments of melancholy, and audible despair. Although VÖLUR clearly fit into the doom metal mould, they connect to a far broader soundscape. Folk or traditional music playing an important role as exemplified by the violin replacing guitars, but the Canadians are equally at home in contemporary genres.
While staying true to the folk doom style that the trio introduced with their debut album “Disir” (2014) and expanded on the sophomore full-length “Ancestors” (2017), the third album witnesses VÖLUR honing their craft. “Death Cult” is characterised by a tightening of compositions and a complete amalgamation of the separate stylistic influences into one cohesive musical experience that still offers a broad range and a host of details waiting to be discovered.
VÖLUR smash the hollow idols on whose altars the merciless priests of capital and industry sacrifice our planet with “Death Cult” – a sinister lament born from folk, modern classical music and a heavy dose of doom metal.
Line-up
Lucas Gadke – bass, vocals
Laura C. Bates – electric violin, vocals
Justin Ruppel – drums
