Swiss black metal duo Ernte have offered the second track, "Ritval Pyre", from their forthcoming fourth full-length, Der schwarzen Flamme Vermächtnis, due this Friday, 13 February via Purity Through Fire.

Ernte embody true Helvetic black metal. After nearly two decades devoted to dark ambient music, photography, painting, and graphic art, Häxär felt compelled to return to his roots. In 2020, his long‑standing passion for black metal took shape in Ernte, where he serves as principal songwriter and guitarist, as well as handling recording and mixing duties. In Askahex (vocals, bass, violin), he found a fitting and seasoned collaborator. She previously played bass and violin in the all‑female doom band shEver before taking on the role of frontwoman in the Swiss black‑doom act Ashtar.

Both original and traditional in equal measure, Ernte channel misanthropic, anti‑modern sentiments while invoking a distant past through old energies and ancestral spirits. In December 2023, the band made their successful live debut, joined by two session musicians. Following their previous two albums, 2024's Weltenzerstörer marked a further evolution of Ernte's sound, emphasising melodic and atmospheric elements while remaining firmly rooted in their black metal origins. Link