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Born from the frost-bitten landscapes of Norway, 1349 are returning to claim the throne of black metal supremacy. Their upcoming eighth album, "The Wolf and The King", is proof of their unwavering dedication to the genre's darkest depths. Lead single "Shadow Point" captures the raw, unfiltered sound that has defined the band's legacy.
Watch the hellish music video for "Shadow Point" below:
"The Wolf and the King" comes out October 4, 2024 on Season of Mist. Pre-order & Pre-save here.
"The Wolf and The King" is a monument of black metal mastery. 1349's new album album is an eight-track odyssey recorded at Amper Tone in Oslo and New Constellation R.M.P. in Orlando, produced and mixed by the relentless duo Ravn and Jarrett Pritchard. These eight songs do more than just push boundaries; they shatter them, exploring themes of transformation through destruction, liberation and mind expansion.
Each song on "The Wolf and The King" is a portal into realms where shadows reign and chaos is the only order. "Shadow Point" enhances 1349's ferocity with unrelenting grooves and complex headbanging riffs that echo the haunting chills of the abyss. From the menacing "The God Devourer" to the cataclysmic "Fatalist", the band imbues the album with apocalyptic elegance. The previously released "Ash of Ages" merges thrash influences with black metal intensity, while "Inferior Pathways" forms an indomitable backbone of unforgiving riffs and demonic rhythms.
"Shadow Point" is just the beginning of "The Wolf and the King"'s aural assault. Kneel into the void and bow to the relentless fury of 1349's blackened artistry.
"The Wolf and The King" Tracklist:
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2. Ash of Ages
3. Shadow Point
4. Inferior Pathways
5. Inner Portal
6. The Vessel and The Storm
7. Obscura
8. Fatalist
1349 is not like other bands. It’s not a group of friends who decided to make music together. 1349 is a band formed with a unified vision and specific purpose: To maintain the legacy of black metal.
“I didn’t like the direction that black metal took in the mid part of the ’90s,” 1349 vocalist and mastermind Ravn recalls. “It started losing everything that I liked about black metal—the grimness, the eeriness, the primal emotions that captivated me and brought me into that sphere. You had all these synthesizer-based bands dressing up in pirate shirts and looking like goths. It ruined something that I truly hold close to my heart.”
In 1997, Ravn formed 1349 and recruited bassist Seidemann and, now former, guitarist Tjalve to help him pursue the vision of recapturing the original spirit of black metal. The longstanding lineup of Ravn, Seidemann, guitarist Archaon, and drummer Frost (also of Satyricon) has been in place since 2001. “I found people that felt the same way as me,” Ravn says of his bandmates. “We wanted to bring back the trademark of Norwegian black metal, as it was presented in the early 90s. Every time we release an album, that’s the inspiration and the backdrop.”
"The Wolf and the King" is the latest sortie in that crusade.1349’s eighth album sees the Oslo-based band harnessing the primordial energy of black metal’s decade-defining second wave and channeling it through ancient mysteries and the relentless global chaos of the 2020s.
The album title comes from a classic alchemical allegory: A wolf devours a king. Then the wolf is devoured by flames, and a new king rises from the ashes. “When I first heard about alchemy when I was young, it was people turning metal into gold,” Ravn says. “Further down the road, through various literatures and magical practices, I realized that what you’re turning into gold is metaphorical. It’s about personal development, basically. You want to be the best you can be, and that’s what we try to do as well. We try to top ourselves, to kill our egos in order to grow as persons. If you don’t do that, you will die. You will not rise from the ashes.”
Lead single “Ash of Ages” combines thrash with extreme metal flourishes and a proper doomsday theme. “The song is based on a story I read about a layer of ash that covered the Earth 12,000 years ago,” Ravn explains. “This layer of ash comes from a meteorite that struck the Earth during the Ice Age. It melted a lot of the ice, which is where the Great Flood came from. The Great Flood is in the Bible, but it was written about in every ancient culture. The theory is that it washed away a lot of other ancient cultures that held a higher intelligence level than those that were found after the flood. So, it possibly set human civilization back many thousands of years.”
Released as a one-sided maxi-12” with a flipside etching by Jordan Barlow—who did all the artwork for "The Wolf and the King" (as well as the band’s 2019 album, "The Infernal Pathway")—“Ash of Ages” is also a warning to check your ego. “To think that you’re important, that you’re anything but an ant down there, is futile,” Ravn points out. “In the end, everything will be washed away, and nothing will be left.”
“Shadow Point” comes complete with a video and revisits the sonic domain of The Infernal Pathway with a classic headbanger groove. “This one references the Star of Algol, or ‘the Demon Star,’” Ravn offers. “It’s actually two stars that revolve around each other, and the small one is devouring the big one. Human beings have seen this star from early ages, and it has had many names over the years. It’s a known part of the magical world, so I wanted to include it in a song.”
Shot through with menace and a snaky groove, album opener “The God Devourer” will also have a video. “The lyrics are based on the alchemical principle of devouring all that you feel is in your way of becoming a better human,” Ravn says. “It sets the ominous tone for the whole album.”
Recorded at Amper Tone in Oslo, Norway, and New Constellation R.M.P. in Orlando, Florida, The Wolf and the King was produced and mixed by Ravn and Jarrett Pritchard (Eulogy, Pulchra Morte), the band’s long-standing sonic wizard who also worked on their previous two albums. The lyrics were written by the band’s longtime wordsmith, Svartalv, who has been working with 1349 for twenty years.
Jordan Barlow’s elaborate artwork for The Wolf and the King reflects the album’s chronological position in 1349’s discography. “This is our eighth album, and the artwork and lyrics are filled with references to this number of infinity,” Ravn explains. “You can basically go on a quest finding references to the number in the artwork.”
All told, "The Wolf and the King" is the exalted output of the joint force that is 1349. “We all work together to make the best black metal possible every time we release an album,” Ravn says. “This is our common goal. We’re a band on a mission.”
In a union that promises to reshape the contours of black metal, 1349 are joining forces with the revered Kampfar for a highly anticipated 2024 European co-headlining tour. Prepare for a ceremonial gathering of black metal's most fervent apostles, ready to spread the gospel of Aural Hellfire and pagan might.
Get tickets here.
1349 & Kampfar 2024 EU Tour:
October 1: Leipzig, DE @ Anker
October 2: Berlin, DE @ SO36
October 3: Aarhus, DK @ Voxhall
October 4: Gothenburg, SE @ Filmstudion
October 5: Stockholm, SE @ Kolletkivet Livet
October 7: Helsinki, FI @ Aaniwalli
October 8: Tallinn, EE @ Helitehas
October 9: Riga, LV @ Melna Piektdiena
October 10: Warsaw, PL @ Proxima
October 11: Kraków, PL @ Kamienna 12
October 12: Vienna, AT @ Vienna Metal Meeting
October 13: Budapest, HU @ Barba Negra
October 15: Prague, CZ @ Futurum
October 16: Munich, DE @ Backstage
October 17: Milano, IT @ Slaughter Club
October 18: Colmar, FR @ Le Grillen
October 19: Aarburg, CH @ Musigburg
October 20: Oignies, FR @ Tyrant Fest
October 22: Weiher, DE @ Live Music Hall
October 23: Paris, FR @ Le Petit Bain
October 24: Bochum, DE @ Zeche
October 25: Amstelveen, NL @ P60
October 26: Maastricht, NL @ Samhain Festival
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