New album, “The Seven”, out on March 18th!
Nine years after the release of In Darkness, German dark metal frontrunners AGATHODAIMON set the stage for their long-awaited comeback – the bittersweet seventh studio album, The Seven, out March 18, 2022 via Napalm Records. AGATHODAIMON’s exceptional new strike maintains the old-school spirit of its predecessor, but can’t be pigeonholed due to its dynamic and widespread musical styles, evoking a gloomy atmosphere fueled by sharp growls, epic clear vocals and a gripping, exceptional sonic universe.
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.
AGATHODAIMON’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 Filth and 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 topics 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, Hamatom 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.
(Photograph by Andrea Reitmeyer)
