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Romanian black metal pioneers Negură Bunget are now unveiling the video "Brad" ("fir tree") as the first single taken from their final album and conclusion of their "Transylvanian trilogy", which is entitled Zău (Old God). Zău has been slated for release on 26 November via Lupus Lounge, a sub-label of Prophecy Productions. Zău is the legacy of drummer and mastermind Gabriel "Negru" Mafa, who tragically passed far too early at the age of 42 years on 21 March 2017. This album has been completed and respectfully created upon Negru's original drum-track recordings by the last line-up of Negură Bunget. They are furthermore revealing the cover art, tracklist, and more details of the new full-length that can be viewed below. The video created by Daniel Dorobantu and containing an edited version of "Brad" is as well available for viewing below.
Negură Bunget comment: "After the tragic passing of Gabriel 'Negru' Mafa we all felt compelled to fulfil his legacy according to his ideas and wishes, which meant that we had to complete the Transylvanian trilogy. Working on this album, we all felt Gabriel's guiding presence among us. We all knew the details directly from him because as the very organised person that Gabriel was, he had written everything down. The drums that you hear on Zău are played by Gabriel as he had already recorded the pilot for the album before his passing. The rest of us just contributed with our parts as usual, although it was a difficult time and process for all of us. We missed the musical and philosophical debates with Gabriel. In the end, we succeeded to complete his work. The title of the third part of the Transylvanian Trilogy Zău means 'Old God' in Romanian but it also designates a wonder. This album focuses on Transylvanian landscapes, mythology, and spirituality. "Brad", which translates as 'fir tree' represents the most cinematic track of this album. The symbolism of the fir tree in Romanian traditional culture is vast and complex. For example, it can represent immortality and the circle of life as it accompanies all the important stages: birth, marriage, and death. Our friend, the artist Daniel Dorobantu created the stunning video for this song."
The label's founder Martin Koller adds: "In many ways, Zău is unlike most other albums. We felt it important that this record would be released in the 25th anniversary year of Prophecy Productions as it somehow felt that this would add to the special tribute we intended it to be to the late Gabriel 'Negru' Mafa. He spoke so many times about the Transylvanian trilogy and how much it meant to him that we knew, we had to get it right. It was so very important to Gabriel, it had become very important to us, his label family. We want to honour all those years of friendship and fruitful collaboration with this posthumous release. We are therefore beyond grateful from the bottom of our hearts for the band to be able to finish what they had started with Gabriel: A stunning testimony of the innovative power and musical creativity of Negură Bunget. We also want to express our deep gratitude towards everybody else, not at least Gabriel's wife Alina, who helped in the making of this amazing record and its artwork. We are glad that we will make it happen before this year is over and we sincerely hope, you will come to love Zău as much as we do."
When the creative mastermind and driving force behind Negură Bunget, drummer Gabriel "Negru" Mafa suffered a terminal heart attack on 21 March 2017 his tragic passing seemed to dictate that his grand vision of a metal-anchored musical interpretation of Romania's beautiful landscapes, traditions, and myths, as well as his homelands spiritually was doomed to remain as unfinished as Beethoven's 10th symphony.
Yet the veteran musicians that had been with Negru in the final incarnation of Negură Bunget's ever-changing line-up were not prepared to give up let his vision slip into unheard obscurity. By sheer luck, Negru's drum tracks for Zău had already been laid down and recorded before the band's final tour. All the sketches, demos, and rehearsal room recordings that they had been working on were painstakingly gathered, and each band member respectfully filled in the gaps in the same way as they would have done with the remaining co-founder of Negură Bunget still alive; in utter dedication to the original idea.
The result of this labour of love is Zău, the stunning culmination and climax of Negură Bunget's musical evolution and the Transylvanian trilogy. On this album, the traditions of black and dark pagan metal have been completely fused with elements from Romania's rich musical heritage. Rich textures and epic cinematic passages make way for fragile and tranquil moments to be superseded by furious outbreaks. Just like the ever-changing nature of Romania's Banat and Transylvania, Zău captures the colours and moods of the turn of the seasons in these lands and brings ancient legends to life. Link
Zău tracklist
01. Brad
02. Iarba Fiarelor
03. Obrăzar
04. Tinerețe Fără Bătrânețe
05. Toacă Din Cer
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