German dark metal frontrunners, Agathodaimon, will release their seventh studio album, The Seven, on March 18 via Napalm Records. The ten track offering stays true to their old-school spirit hits with new vigour, one hard to pigeonhole due to its widespread musical styles, creating gloomy atmospheres with sharp growls and insane clear vocals. Prepare for an exceptional sonic universe.
After unveiling the massively intense first single “Ain’t Death Grand”, followed by gloomy “Wolf Within”, the gates of darkness are calling you to enter once more with the infernal third offering “Kyrie / Gloria”. The track stomps towards heavy doom metal, conjuring a black mass with creeping darkness and desperate screams turning into harsh black metal parts, all topped by the outstanding guest appearance of Benighted frontman Julien Truchan. “Kyrie / Gloria” comes along with an atmospherically fitting music video shot within the impressive scenery of Arenfels Castle, Germany. Agathodaimon are ringing the bell for one last dance with the devil before The Seven is finally unleashed.
Agathodaimon on “Kyrie / Gloria”: “This is one of the most extreme songs on our album. Blast beats meet excessive doom metal riffs… We love the intense atmosphere evoked here – the song has an awesome groove, and we’re really looking forward to playing it live. Oh, and we highly suggest checking out the video clip we did for this one!”
Formed in 1995 and entering the scene with their debut, Blacken the Angel, in 1998, bandleader Sathonys was temporarily forced to put Agathodaimon on hold in 2014 due to private circumstances. But the irrevocable fire of the band and their fans never went out, seeking a reawakening of this sonic, seething beast. The unit’s massive new outburst, The Seven, reveals extreme soundscapes amid a captivating concoction of evil, provoking, cutting dark metal and heroic symphonic black metal in the style of bands like Cradle of Filthand Carach Angren, but with their unique and very own multifaceted take. Thematically, as hinted by the album’s title, the full-length is centered around the momentous and symbolically powerful number seven and the seven deadly sins – sloth, greed, lust, gluttony, pride, wrath, envy – on ten tracks total, all addressed with religious themes that contrast with human beings and its original nature.
Sathonys about the album: “Well, we took our time in creating this album. We had to make sure we (can) work together as a band after all these years, that the chemistry is there, that it feels organic to release another album after such a long break. To cut it short, we’re really looking forward to have The Seven out, as we’re very satisfied with it. More than that, we’re proud of it. Typically, you can point a finger at one or two songs that really stand out from the rest, but here, you’ll feel the effort that was put into every song and every aspect. Not only in terms of songwriting, there’s also the artistic concept and visual artwork/realization delivered by the team of Credo Quia Absurdum, or the excellent production under the supervision of our friend Kristian “Kohle” Kohlmannslehner (Powerwolf, Aborted, Benighted etc.). Usually you have to be prepared to make compromises. The Seven is far from that, as it is our most ambitious album to date.”
Diving into this exciting construct with opener “La Haine”, the track lures the listener into the freezing, dark world of Agathodaimon, produced by long-time companion Kristian “Kohle” Bonifer (Aborted, Powerwolf, Hämatom amongst others), by building up a dense wall of thunderous sound, accented by a multifaceted vocal interpretation. Songs like raging “Wolf Within” and haunting “In my Dreams” roam between dense soundscapes, crushing instrumentals and intense lyricism. “Kyrie / Gloria” on the other hand stomps more towards heavy doom metal, calling for a black mass with creeping darkness and desperate screams turning into harsh black metal parts, all topped by the guest appearance of Benighted frontman Julien Truchan. Amid the tracklisting there’s another special treat for fans lurking with epochal orchestration that paves the war for the remarkable performance of Agathodaimon’s former vocalist, Romanian Vlad Dracul, on “Mother of all Gods”. It’s not only this very first collaboration since 1999, but The Seven as a whole, that showcases that Agathodaimon absolutely acing the balancing act of incorporating their past into a bright and exciting future.
The Seven will be available in the following formats:
– 1 LP Gatefold Ocean Blue
– 1 CD Digipak + T-Shirt Bundle (Napalm Records exclusive)
– 1 CD Digipak
– Digital Album
Pre-order here.
The Seven tracklisting:
“La Haine”
“Ain’t Death Grand”
“Wolf Within”
“Ghosts Of Greed”
“Mother Of All Gods”
“Estrangement”
“In My Dreams (Part 1 – Prelude)”
“In My Dreams (Part 2 – In Bitterness)”
“Kyrie / Gloria”
“The Divine”
“Wolf Within” lyric video:
“Ain’t Death Grand” video:
Agathodaimon are:
Sathonys – Guitar, clean vocals
Nakhateth – Guitar
Von Yanesh – Bass
Ashtrael – Vocals
Mortos – Drums
(Photo – Andrea Reitmeyer)
