From Shadow to Thaw – Music, Philosophy, and a Glass Raised to the Night
I want to begin this piece like a letter of confession. This is the quiet confession of having never written, perhaps even never quite managed to write, about this music until now, even though for a long time I have been stepping blindly into every song they compose and, each time, setting off on my own psychedelic journey.
The 2025 album Shadow Play, the April 2026 EP Thaw, and my visit to Çal at the end of March finally brought this article into being, one centered on Drudkh’s music, lyrics, and a particular wine that accompanies them.
This article is about Drudkh, the Ukrainian atmospheric black metal band. Drudkh is a dark musical mirror of suffering, pain, and social decay. There are no live performances and no masks in this universe; what you encounter instead is a series of albums in which the notes cry out and the music is transferred from one body to another. Entering the realm of Drudkh is like holding a one-way ticket; after that, you begin to desire getting lost yourself. Especially if you are among those atmospheric black metal listeners whose veins have long been claimed by melancholy.
In DRUDKH’s music, melody flows without ever hurrying, while repetition becomes more than repetition, creating a hypnotic state that pulls the listener inward. The transitions do not arrive through harsh ruptures, but by slowly dissolving into one another; the music does not erupt, it expands inward. The mid-tempo passages, at times leaning toward doom, deepen this darkness even further. The long, echoing, and controlled screams never turn into spectacle; it is as though a narrator speaks from afar, telling his story without shouting, yet without surrendering. The sense of nature does not emerge through flutes or folk instruments either, but from the very texture of the melody itself, as if mist were rising on its own from between the notes.
The album I still place in a category of its own within their discography is Blood in Our Wells (2005). I can say that the epic intensity of this record reveals the spirit of the band in its most unguarded form. However, Furrows of Gods (Blood in Our Wells), Glare of Autumn (Autumn Aurora), Only the Wild Remembers My Name (Estrangement), and The Nocturnal One (All Belong to the Night) are essential milestones for tracing Drudkh’s footsteps.
The inclusion of texts by Ukrainian poets in their lyrics is one of the cornerstones of DRUDKH’s aesthetic line. The melodies of Drudkh carry the poetry of major figures of 1920s and 1930s Ukrainian modernism, such as Volodymyr Svidzinsky, Bohdan Ihor Antonych, Maik (Mykhailo) Yohansen, and Yevhen Pluzhnyk. The album A Few Lines in Archaic Ukrainian (2019), in particular, places these poets’ archaic Ukrainian verse at the center of its musical vision, forging a powerful connection between language, history, and cultural memory. Shadow Play (2025), meanwhile, moves this line onto a more inward and meditative plane.
2025 – Shadow Play
Released under Underground Activists, the underground-focused sub-imprint of Season of Mist, Shadow Play carries DRUDKH’s timeless aesthetic into a more refined darkness. The album creates a field of tension between the oppositions of existence: light and shadow, silence and storm, memory and oblivion.
While the band’s characteristic atmospheric and pagan black metal language remains intact, themes of exile, roots, and the cycle of life and death are strongly felt in the album’s narrative backbone. Tremolo-laden melodies, hypnotic repetitions, and a melancholic ambience place the listener in a world suspended between past and present.
DRUDKH embraces anonymity not as an aesthetic gesture, but as an ontological position. It refuses to surrender to the culture of visibility. Only the music speaks. Historical memory is felt not only on the lyrical level, but within the structure of the composition itself. In the lyrics, the legacy of poets such as Yakiv Savchenko resonates through this music. DRUDKH, in fact, produces timelessness. It speaks not through trends, but through historical consciousness.
Drudkh - "The Eve"
The sorrowful grandeur of The Eve, the defiant grief of The Exile, and the destructive beauty of The Thirst shape the album’s inner tension. This is not merely an act of listening, but an experience of turning inward.”
2026 – Thaw EP
Set for release in 24th April 2026, the Thaw EP was recorded during the same creative period as Shadow Play and stands as a direct extension of that album. It is not an independent change of direction, but a concentrated continuation.
The opening track, Memory, points not so much to nostalgia as to permanence. With a structure that stretches beyond seven minutes, it moves forward slowly, expanding its layers and carrying those familiar, epic Drudkh tones I find impossible to give up. It reflects the fragile dissolution of a frozen state of mind.
This three-track EP explores a state of lingering on the threshold, inner exile, and the quiet instability of change. Thaw is, in essence, a transitional work. Neither entirely new nor entirely old. A dissolution, but a controlled one.
Drudkh - Memory
As one falls asleep, as one emerges from sleep, the screams gradually spread and lengthen. Its atmospheric black metal structure leans toward doom. A dark spirit that seeps into us. This is precisely where DRUDKH’s black pearls are hidden.
Wine Pairing – Çal Karası (Lermonos)
While listening to the 2025 album Shadow Play, with its strong sense of local emphasis, I chose a local character from these lands: Çal Karası. The pride of the Çal region of Denizli.
Çal Karası is mostly used in the production of rosé. Yet the Denizli-based producer Lermonos has let the blood of this distinctive grape run, transforming it into a true red. Its pale red, brilliant color appears elegant, yet its structure is deeper than one might expect.
This is a grape that speaks in many tongues. It opens with red fruits: sour cherry, pomegranate, red plum. Then it brushes against fine spices, touches of clove. With a sudden turn, it leaves greenish reflections at certain angles. On the palate, it moves from reds that steadily intensify toward faint green tones, and with a bitter finish, it throws the truth in your face.
Its acidity is pronounced, sharp, and vivid. Being a child of a continental climate, it knows hardship well. The temperature difference within the day reveals itself in that piercing acidity. With its slender body, it carries shrill screams, yet it also possesses aromas deep and lingering enough to carry the melodies alongside them.
This is the wine of the night. Red enough for the full moon to want to fill its goblet with it. It is built to be drunk in the silence of the night, accompanied by heavy melodies. With the purple flowers it keeps trapped inside, it makes one final gesture and, as the night goes on, draws melancholy over itself. Like DRUDKH’s music, Çal Karası first leaves behind an intense shadow; it hardens with its pointed tongue, then curls inward with an unexpected elegance. Like silenced Renaissance poets, it bears pain in an aesthetic form. It is a refined yet sharp reply from Anatolia to the memory of Ukraine.
I raise my glass to a night paced out on the ground by His Twenty-Fourth Spring, and to Drudkh’s musical epic tale.
Lermonos Carovino Çal Karası 2024
DRUDKH listens not only to the poetry of the past, but to the tremor of a land still shaking beneath the present. The connection it draws between historical memory and present-day fragility makes their music not only timeless, but painfully relevant and unmistakably black metal.
"The equinox is behind us.
A cold spring night. In every sound, In every breath, In every gust of wind, April."
Between Beauty and Beast: The Dark Architecture of The
Choir Of Agony
Hailing
from İzmir, The Choir Of Agony stands out as one of the bands that still
carries the deep-rooted legacy of metal music in its strongest form today.
While remaining faithful to the traditional vein, the band does so not merely
through stylistic allegiance, but with a high level of musicality and
intellectual maturity. Reinterpreting doom metal’s “beauty & beast”
structure through the brutal presence of a female musician, the band frames
this contrast not simply as an aesthetic choice, but as a space of existential
rupture. In the tracks featuring guest musicians, an intense, ceremonial, and
dark atmosphere emerges, one that invites the listener into the rite of a black
choir. In short, The Choir Of Agony does not merely create dark music; it
constructs darkness within an intellectual and aesthetic unity. In this
comprehensive interview, the band answered many of my questions, ranging from
their creative processes and influences to their musical approach and lyrical
world.
Moving
along the doom/death axis, The Choir of Agony creates a dark and layered
atmosphere through the dramatic tension between brutal and clean vocals.
Blending divine wrath with existential melancholy in the same crucible, this
structure builds a powerful and distinctive identity through a stage presence
centered around a female brutal vocalist. When was the band formed? Who are the
current members, and how would you describe your music to someone hearing it
for the first time?
First of
all, thank you very much for doing this interview with us. The Choir Of
Agony was first formed in 2023 as “Draconian Tribute.” Later on, as a band,
we decided to create our own compositions. Our current line-up consists of
Senem Semiz (extreme vocals), Mecit Ege Yılmaz (guitar), Hürkan Çağlar (bass
guitar), and Volkan Günakın (drums). If we were to describe our music for new
listeners, we could say that it establishes a structure through which one can
feel the inner conflict of the human being, musically, down to the very cells,
with a doom metal influence.
Senem Semiz
With the
name The Choir Of Agony, you point to a distinctive identity that
foregrounds a multi-vocal structure. If I am not mistaken, you have released 6
singles to date and collaborated with foreign musicians in these works. How did
these ideas emerge? Which names did you work with?
At first,
our band’s name was “Enchanted Nocturne.” As a brutal vocalist, my greatest
wish was to sing with the vocalists of the bands I love and enjoy listening to.
I first realized this dream with Gogo Melone, the clean vocalist of Aeonian
Sorrow. Later, we released a single with Nikos Vlachakis, the brutal vocalist
of Ocean of Grief. These collaborations and duets made us think that we should
continue as “Choir,” and by mutual decision, The Choir of Agony was
born. We chose to name our third single Enchanted Nocturne to keep our original
name alive. Mattias Theuwen, whom we know as one of the scream vocalists of
Thurisaz and Ka'Una, also accompanied us on this single. We recorded our fourth
single with the contribution of Sonia Hernandez, the clean vocalist of Scandelion,
and at the same time, the composition of this song belongs to my very dear
friend Duru Şimal Durmaz. We recorded our fifth single with Eduardo (Harbinger
of Doom), the vocalist of The Cross, with whom we are also working on a project
that will arrive like a bomb in the future. Frederic Simon, whom we know from
former Inborn Suffering and currently from Lying Figures, also accompanied us
on our sixth single.
Hürkan Çağlar
What
criteria do you consider when choosing the musicians you collaborate with? In
my opinion, in one of your best tracks, Enchanted Nocturne, Senem’s
deep, dark, and smooth brutal vocals are strikingly completed by the inwardly
surging, textured screams of Matthias Theuwen, whom we know from Ka’Una and
Thurisaz, as they bind the piece together in a remarkable way. This track was
selected as the Best Metal Song of the Year by Surge Türkiye in 2025, was it
not?
We can say
that Enchanted Nocturne is the apple of our eye. Surge Türkiye honored
us by selecting it as the “Best Metal Song.” If you notice, the names we choose
to work with in these collaborations are the ones that complete that particular
song. For example, Forsaken Lament. In that song, we could not think of
any vocal color other than Gogo’s, and we still cannot. It required a strong
voice capable of performing the song almost like a lament. And that was Gogo.
We can say that it is entirely a choice shaped by the atmosphere of the song.
We can say that Enchanted Nocturne is the apple of our eye. Surge Türkiye honored us by selecting it as the “Best Metal Song."
Enchanted Nocturne/ The Choir of Agony
In
doom/gothic metal, within the traditional “beauty and the beast” dynamic, the
brutal vocal is usually performed by a man, while the clean vocal is performed
by a woman. The Choir Of Agony reverses this established pattern. Was
this a conscious aesthetic choice? How would you describe, in your own words,
this approach that carries you to a distinctive and original point?
This is
actually a question we have always wanted to be asked. In doom metal, beauty is
generally defined as the clean vocal, while beast is defined as the brutal
vocal. What we try to express in the lyrics of our songs is also the “beauty”
and the “beast” within the human being. We believe that this, too, can be
gathered within a single body, as a woman (beauty) and brutal (beast).
Mecit Ege Yılmaz
"What we try
to express in the lyrics of our songs is also the “beauty” and the “beast”
within the human being"
Although
The Choir Of Agony is positioned on the doom metal axis, I believe the
melodic death metal influences in Night I Pass Through the Egypt, along
with the gothic, melancholic transitions that emerge within the songs, show
that the band also draws from different genres. What is your take on this?
We can say
that Night I Pass Through the Egypt was actually an experiment for us.
In this single, we wanted to take our listeners beyond the boundaries of doom
metal to some extent and bring them together with a different atmosphere. When
we present it to you as part of the album, we hoped that in this musical
journey, once Night I Pass Through the Egypt ends and it continues with Enchanted
Nocturne, it would convey the feeling that the war had ended and been won.
Are you
planning new international collaborations? What kind of roadmap are you drawing
for the upcoming period? As far as I know, you are also preparing an album.
What can you share about the recording process and concept of the album?
In our new
international collaborations, Lucia Amelia, the clean vocalist of Ghostheart
Nebula, Tereza Rohelova, the clean/brutal vocalist of Opia, and Thomas Jansen,
the brutal vocalist of Saturnus, will be taking part. In our other
collaborations that will not be included on the album, we also worked with
Aaron Stainthorpe, whom we know from ex-My Dying Bride and High Parasite, on a
very special project. Heike Langhans, herself the ex-Draconian clean vocalist,
will accompany us in the future. The recording process of the album progressed
in a disciplined manner; since the instrument recordings had been prepared, we
were able to devote a great deal of time to vocal composition. Conceptually,
the album is actually like day and night. We can say that it is a beautiful
union of opposites.
Volkan Günakın
How does
The Choir Of Agony construct its songs? Does the process usually begin
with an idea or an atmosphere, or does it move forward through a musical motif?
Is the balance between brutal and clean vocals a structure planned from the
very beginning, or does it take shape naturally during the process?
We first
compose the songs on paper as notes, and then make them concrete by playing
them on guitar and piano. Since the songs are mostly composed conceptually by
me (Senem), as the brutal vocalist, I determine the atmosphere, theme, and even
the vocal color that the song should have before it even enters the recording
stage, and I share these with my bandmates. After the ideas are taken in and
developed, and once we reach the point where we say, “Alright, this is the
song,” the track is recorded and prepared for the vocal recording. So in fact,
both a planned process unfolds, and the feelings and thoughts that the journey
brings us are what enable us to compose the song.
After a The
Choir Of Agony concert, in what emotional state would you like the listener
to leave?
After our
concerts, we would like our listeners to enter into an inner dialogue with
themselves, awaken a sense of curiosity within, and question the aspects of
themselves they have not yet come to know.
"The metal world
has recently become acquainted with many highly successful female extreme
vocalists."
Senem Semiz
Do you
think perceptions of gender in the extreme metal scene are changing, or are
they still resistant? I believe that in metal music, which is the voice of
freedom and rebellion, we need to move faster on this issue and break these
patterns one by one. As a band that has made progress in this regard, what are
your thoughts on the matter?
We can say
that our thoughts on this are split down the middle. Receiving very positive
feedback as a band that continues with a frontwoman gives us strength. Comments
such as, “It really doesn’t sound like these vocals are coming from a woman,”
in fact, stretch the notion of “gender” in this context somewhat in favor of
women, in our view, because the metal world has recently become acquainted with
many highly successful female extreme vocalists. But just as there are
conflicts within the individual, which are also reflected in our music, there
is also a certain segment that still has its own disagreements on this matter.
That is why we cannot say that the perception of gender in metal has fully
reached a state of peace.
Senem,
your brutal vocal performance breaks the established expectations of the genre.
How did you develop your technique? Do you apply any particular method in order
to protect your vocal health? To you, what kind of form of expression is brutal
vocals: a sonic weapon, a tool of catharsis, or a dark mode of expression?
The biggest
factor in developing my brutal technique, as funny as it may sound, has been
making witch, monster, and goblin sounds ever since childhood. When I became
interested in this vocal technique, I realized that I had actually unlocked it
as a child, and I pursued it further. My interest in doom metal is obvious, but
my vocal technique is not limited to this genre. I am also interested in
techniques found in other metal genres. The biggest factor in the development
of my vocals to this extent is, in fact, my impulse to imitate the sounds I
hear. This can be anything from a bird sound to the sound of a dolphin. I am
the same way in metal music as well. I can perform vocals ranging from doom to
grindcore. This technique is a true catharsis for me. It is my way of feeling
purified and, in a way I have never been able to express, of feeling that I
have expressed myself and have been understood.
Themes
such as apocalyptic divine wrath, existential abandonment, cosmic fate, and
personal melancholy stand out in your lyrics. At the same time, references to
sacred texts such as Psalms, Revelation, and Exodus are also striking. Do you
approach these sacred references as a spiritual reckoning, an existential
rebellion, or an apocalyptic reinterpretation? What philosophical or literary
influences nourish your writing process?
We can say
that existence is the fundamental building block of every theme and every
phenomenon. We sometimes seek to convey these phenomena to listeners through
quotations, verbally and from a divine point of view; at other times, through
symbols. From a literary perspective, there are many sections in our work that
can be shown as examples of the influence of symbolism. Philosophically as
well, it is possible to say that our works are fully reflexive in nature.
Are
there any books, writers, or albums among your musical sources of inspiration
that hold a particularly special place for you? Which albums affected you the
most in 2025?
If we are
to give examples of writers and books, the dark narrative of H. P. Lovecraft
and Necronomicon, along with its extraordinary descriptive technique,
inspired us greatly. Since we first embarked on this path by playing
Draconian’s Under a Godless Veil from beginning to end, this album holds
a very special place and importance for us. Another album that influenced us
deeply would be Moonflowers by Swallow the Sun.
The Choir Of Agony / Bloodflower (Draconian Cover) Live
How do
you evaluate today’s metal scene? In the age of artificial intelligence,
production and distribution processes have become easier, and home studios have
become widespread. In your opinion, what are the advantages and disadvantages
of this?
Today, we
can comfortably say that artificial intelligence is very useful when it is used
well. It gives instant answers to every question we ask. For example, let’s say
the question is this: We are recording a doom metal album. We have guitars
equipped with EMG and Seymour Duncan pickups. Which one do you think would be
more compatible? The fact that it can answer such a question instantly and
offer us an idea is excellent. But of course, nowadays it does not stop at
doing only that. Unfortunately, it also writes lyrics, creates cover artwork,
and does alone the work that ten people could do. This, of course, leads some
people toward laziness. But when used intelligently, it is a great service. As
for home studios, we think they are wonderful. Whenever we want, if a melody
comes to mind at home, we can immediately bring it to life. Of course, because
this gradually reduces interaction with other people, it also brings a greater
degree of subjectivity with it.
There is
a strong metal scene and a deep-rooted underground tradition in Turkey.
Although some cities may seem to have a more dominant and intense atmosphere, I
believe İzmir has a spirit of its own. On the one hand, there is a sense of
damp darkness; on the other, relentlessly sunny days… While the outside is
filled with light, shadow accumulates within. The darkness inside and the
unending sun outside actually create a great contrast, and this is something
that can inspire dark arts. Do you think this contradictory nature of İzmir
affects doom-oriented production emerging from the city? How do you position
İzmir in a creative sense?
To us,
İzmir is a true The Choir Of Agony song. The contradictions within the
human being that we try to convey in our songs are felt beautifully in the city
itself, through its weather that is at one moment warm, at another cold, at
another rainy. And there are definitely quite a few songs we have written
simply by watching the outside through a window. Enchanted Nocturne, for
example. And there is also When The Stars Fade, which has not yet been
released, a work born from a dark night when the electricity was cut off.
I would
also like to mention another band, Metal Charm, in which members of The
Choir Of Agony also take part. It is a band that holds a place in the
Turkish melodic death metal scene with its strong compositions. Your second
album, Visions of Escape, was released in 2025 by the French label
Bitume Productions. What is happening on the Metal Charm side? Could you tell
us a little about it?
Metal Charm
is actually a project that reflects our energy and makes us happy. These two
bands we are part of are actually like night and day. They clash with one
another. While one contains heavy melodies, the other is more energetic.
I
believe this is what brought us together as a band on common ground. We can say
that, on the Metal Charm side, we have begun preparations for a third album.
Metal Charm is, in fact, the outward expression of the happiness within us. It
is one of our forms of expression.
"Existence is the fundamental building block of every theme and every phenomenon."
May I
have your final words and wishes? Thank you for the interview.
As for our
final words, first of all, we would like to say once again that we are
thankful. Our lyrics will be published together with the album. Take a look and
see in which of these songs you will find yourself. Will the songs be an answer
to your questions, or will they give rise to new questions?
Bonus
Question: Considering the identity of The Choir Of Agony and the
dramatic tension you create in your music, what dark figure, mythological
being, or metaphysical universe would represent you best? (I will have a
surprise for you depending on your answer.)
We could
say the Lovecraftian (Cthulhu) universe.
We would
also like to say that we strongly associate our music with the films of
director Tim Burton. For example, Nightmare Before Christmas.
The Choir Of Agony Through the Eyes of AI Designed by Black Metal Chronicles
Country: Norway Genre: Avant-Garde Metal / Black Metal Album Title: ...by the word... Release Date: May 29, 2026 Label:Prophecy Productions Distribution: SPKR
Manifesto Sentence:
A ritualistic and dissonant state of being rather than a mere album, ...by the word... fractures perception and demands immersion instead of comfort.
Context Note:
Continuing the unpredictable artistic trajectory of Kristian “Gaahl” Espedal, Trelldom once again dismantles stylistic expectations. ...by the word... expands upon avant-garde dissonance, jagged rhythmic structures, and radical compositional turns, positioning itself not as a flowing melodic journey but as a space of entrapment and confrontation. The record feels less like music to drift through and more like a condition to endure.
Throughout the album, ritualistic vocal structures unfold against layered dissonant arrangements, creating a fragmented listening experience. At moments where the saxophone emerges—most notably through the presence of Kjetil Møster—the sonic landscape shifts into something both magnificent and unsettling, freezing time rather than propelling it forward. Industrial desolation permeates the guitar tones, while rhythmic instability intensifies the sense of unease, rendering the album strikingly contemporary in its darkness.
For long-time listeners, there is a familiar abyss here. Wherever Gaahl’s artistic hand is involved, one encounters a dark oyster resting in the deepest layers of black metal. Detached from roots yet deeply embedded in its essence, a restless and heart-wrenching musical experiment waits inside like a black pearl. With ...by the word..., that pearl bursts forth—arguably one of the most mature statements in the project’s history.
The current line-up plays a decisive role in this renewed exploration of extremes. Guitarist Stian “Sir” Kårstad (formerly of Djerv) ensures continuity, having contributed to the band’s earlier albums. Renowned percussionist Kenneth Kapstad (Motorpsycho, Spidergawd, Møster!, Thorns) brings rhythmic complexity, while bassist Eirik Øien adds further depth to the evolving sonic architecture.
Artwork & Conceptual Frame:
Artwork by Alex Rose Art, curated by Kristian Espedal
Layout by Øivind Myksvoll
The cover depicts a being fractured beneath the weight of language, memory, and an invisible verdict—an image that mirrors the album’s conceptual core. In a Deleuzean sense, it evokes the notion of the “body without organs,” constructing the body not as a coherent whole but as a fragmented surface traversed by word, shadow, and traumatic intensity. Much like the music itself, where instruments generate a splintered perceptual field, the artwork manipulates sensory space and identity through rupture rather than cohesion.
Thematic Axis:
Linguistic fracture, ritualistic disintegration, industrial desolation, avant-garde transcendence beyond black metal orthodoxy.
Band: Frostmoon Eclipse Country: Italy Genre: Black Metal / Black Rock Album Title: As Time Retreats Release Year: 2025 Label: Immortal Frost Productions
Manifesto Sentence:
A mature and expansive return that reframes black metal’s raw spirit through classic rock sensibility and subtle death/doom shadows.
Context Note:
Marking the band’s 30th anniversary and their eighth full-length release, As Time Retreats sees Frostmoon Eclipse revisiting their signature black metal foundation while broadening its harmonic vocabulary. The record integrates classic rock melodic phrasing, restrained post-metal textures, and occasional death/doom tonal weight reminiscent of bands such as Katatonia and My Dying Bride. The production remains raw yet articulate, allowing the bass to step forward as a structural force rather than a background element. Familiar tremolo-driven passages are enriched with melancholic melodic layering, suggesting a band less concerned with orthodoxy and more focused on longevity and evolution.
Editor’s Note:
A particularly compelling release for listeners who remain devoted to the icy austerity of old-school black metal infused with dense, lingering melancholy. I have followed Frostmoon Eclipse since the Gathering the Dark era, and certain compositions continue to resonate years later. “Song to Darkness,” featuring guest vocals by J.J. (Harakiri for the Sky, Karg), remains one of those haunting standouts.
Wine in the Glass, Doom in the Air: Flogero & The Choir of Agony
Amid the ocean’s aggressive waves, a current emerges and brings a crystalline touch to the atmosphere. Melancholy rising from the water dissolves into the veins, for it advances with silent steps through the most destructive depths, carrying you toward a song. Its name: Forsaken Lament by The Choir of Agony.
Forsaken Lament Lyric Video
I first discovered İzmir-based The Choir of Agony at one of my favorite rock bars, Tato, where they performed Draconian covers. The covers were executed flawlessly, but it was the smoothness of the brutal vocals that especially stood out. What’s more, these powerful, dark growls came from a woman—delivered with a talent so sharp it could make even male vocalists envious. Breaking the cycle of the doom-gothic style with this vocal approach and bringing something new to the genre is worth underlining.
In September 2025, The Choir of Agony released their debut single, Forsaken Lament. With steady yet relentless steps, they struck their first blow with a piece that slowly but surely seizes your heart with its blackened hands. The elements of gothic doom are meticulously placed, the melodies left to drift in their most natural flow across a darkened sky. Guitars prepare the way for the shift from brutal to clean, the production is polished, the bass resonates with depth, and the drums slow the pulse into rhythms that pierce the heart of melancholy.
Especially striking are the climactic moments where the clean and brutal vocals overlap, close in on each other, and then part ways—the most dramatic peaks of the song. This dual-layered vocal design drags the listener deep into darkness while simultaneously opening a door toward the light. The band is ready to construct their pitch-black musical fortress.
As a bonus, the track features Aeonian Sorrow’s Gogo Melone with her enchanting clean vocals (her experimental black metal work with Elysia is also worth exploring).
Here is a band arriving with the inspiration to resurrect doom-gothic from its grave. Even more intriguing are the surprising collaborations they have planned. Metal needs to breathe with ideas like these, reaching out to the souls who have devoted themselves to this culture. Among the projects I most eagerly anticipate is their cover of The Forever People with Aaron Stainthorpe of My Dying Bride and Eduardo Habinger of Doom. And I am already eagerly awaiting their upcoming EP, where all this darkness will converge.
So then—dim the lights, and start sipping from Forsaken Lament while you have a glass of Flogero 2022 made of Merlot by Greek wine producer Katogi Averoff.
A luminous and expansive reconfiguration of avant-garde black metal that replaces claustrophobic dread with cosmic elevation and melodic transcendence.
As the project’s sixteenth full-length under Vindsval’s direction, Ethereal Horizons consolidates more than three decades of experimentation into a more open and emotionally resonant form. Departing from the oppressive, Lovecraftian density of recent works, the album gravitates toward the melodic and psychedelic sensibilities of Memoria Vetusta III: Saturnian Poetry and Hallucinogen, incorporating progressive structures, kosmische synth textures, and choir-inflected vocal arrangements. While traces of the band’s earlier dissonant and industrial tendencies remain, they are recontextualized within a warmer and more grounded sonic architecture.
