Folk metal partnership Forgotten Shrine — the creative collaboration between Josh Alexander and Sofia Frasz (Exiled Hope) — are preparing to release their debut full‑length, Nox Aeterna. A concept‑driven opus centred around two guardians who protect an ancient shrine devoted to art, creativity, and freedom, it draws inspiration from the need to preserve one's childlike sense of wonder. As darkness begins to erode the people's spirits, the shrine slowly loses its power. Nox Aeterna is scheduled to arrive on 6 November, while the new single, "Dearly Departed", has now been unveiled.
In "Dearly Departed", the lyrics explore the journey of newfound power. Following this discovery, the protagonist chooses to utilise their abilities to inflict revenge on those who have wronged them. The composition reflects the broader themes of the album as individuals succumb to the encroaching darkness and accelerate the destruction of their world rather than preserving it.
"My vocal performance was strongly inspired by 'The Violation' by Fleshgod Apocalypse, relying predominantly on cavernous, mournful, death metal-inspired harsh vocals as opposed to black metal highs", shares Sofia Frasz. "Josh took the demo I sent and reworked it into the final version, adding a ton of detail and instrumental flourishes that bring the song to life beautifully. 'Dearly Departed' is a more emotionally charged and dark song than what we are used to, which, after the release of our song 'Halo', will come as a relief to our more heavy/symphonic metal fans".
Josh Alexander adds. "It's structurally frantic, each section building on the last until it can't anymore, and rounds itself off with quite possibly the prettiest piece of music on the album in the piano outro. Sofia demoed out the entire song first, and the thing I built upon the most was the piano, which makes for a great juxtaposition to the black metal inspired guitars. I think the power of a song like this is that the listener can interject their own experience of heartbreak and resentment, ultimately culminating in a 'let the past die' moment at the end which is communicated in the strained softness of the outro".
Nox Aeterna was produced, mixed, and mastered by Joshua Dalviken. The album artwork was created by Josh Alexander and Joshua Dalviken, while the cover art for "Dearly Departed" was crafted by Josh Alexander and Tricia Alexander. Link
Nox Aeterna tracklist:
01. Where Shadows Lie (Reforged)
02. Terror! At The Ballroom
03. Loch Lomond
04. Gods Of War
05. Wander So Far
06. Nox Aeterna
07. Dearly Departed
08. Halo
09. The Parting Glass (Reforged)
10. End Of The Dream
11. Where Shadows Lie (Reforged Instrumental)
Dark‑pop act Hunter As A Horse (HAAH) have issued their debut full‑length record, Paradise Lost, out now by way of Metropolis Records, and have shared the video for the title track.
The Eternal have put out a captivating music video for their latest single, "Colours Fade", offering another compelling glimpse into their new opus, Obscured Horizons, earmarked for...
Austrian post‑rock/post‑metal collective Our Ceasing Voice have revealed "Diamond Eyes", their first new track since 2017 and the opening chapter of a renewed creative era. The song...
Having performed at the annual German alternative‑music festival M'era Luna in early August, Canadian electronic rock/dark pop act The Birthday Massacre will return to Europe in late...
"It would be an exciting thing to be a part of the fourth The Sisters Of Mercy album. I think my role has changed in the last few years." - Ben Christo
"There's much more detail in our music now than 20 years ago. It's also much easier nowadays because you can do many things at home." - Morten Lybecker
"I hope that through our music and our words, people can feel that connection between us and them, and feel a little bit better — or at least less alone." - Alessandro Belluccio
"It's a dark album. According to me, it's the darkest yet in our discography. It's also very suggestive, very introverted, less direct, and might be less friendly..." - Daniel Moilanen
