Italian black metal outfit Sakahiter has unleashed the first single/lyric video, "Hirpus", from its upcoming album, Samnite Black Metal, slated for release on 7 February 2025 via recently signed with Time To Kill Records.

The band on "Hirpus": "This track is one of the songs from the new album that best encapsulates the band's evolution and journey from its inception to the present day. The lyrics focus on the spirit animal used by the Samnites, in this case represented by the Wolf, which guided them in their quest for new lands. The song represents a fusion of history and mythology. Here, the Wolf is  portrayed as a kind of demon leading the Samnite armies to victory under the will and strength of Mamerte (Mars), the god of war, one of the  deities worshipped by the Samnites. All the victims claimed by its  fangs, followed by the army, serve as an offering to the gods, who in  return grant them renewed strength. At the end of the battle, the statue of the goddess Kerres, the deity of birth, rises high, satisfied with  the blood sacrifice. She bestows upon the people the gift of life,  fertility, abundant harvests, and good omens under the protection of the gods".

Samnite Black Metal delves into the dark and ancestral rites of the Samnites, an ancient warrior people of southern Italy. Each track plunges into a sonic abyss of primal fury, evoking the mysticism and brutality of their rituals tied to the forces of nature.

Its dark and powerful soundscapes embody the courage and rage of a people who fought to their last breath, invoking arcane deities and practising ancient rites of war and sacrifice.

This is a sonic experience that fuses the brutal ferocity of death metal with the occult atmosphere of black metal. It dissolves the line between life and death, resurrecting the Samnites as lords of a lost world steeped in magic and darkness.

The album's concept immerses the listener in archaic and forgotten mythologies, exploring themes of ancient mysticism, darkness, and a profound connection with the spirits of nature and malevolent forces. It draws on the Samnites' war rituals and sacrificial practices performed before battle to secure the favour of the gods. The atmosphere is intense and suffocating, with dark and sinister tones conjuring visions of shadowy forests, crumbling temples, and ancient rites.

Amid sharp guitars and relentless drumming, the call of dark gods resonates. The vocals narrate tales of rituals steeped in blood and fire, worshipping hidden deities nestled in the woods and mountains. The brutal soundscapes - driven by distorted guitars and vocals that alternate between guttural growls and piercing screams - mirror the ferocity of war and the mysticism of magical rites.

Raw, aggressive guitar riffs intertwine with atmospheric passages and evocative sounds. The drums echo like relentless war cries, while the vocals seem to emerge from the depths of shadowy forests and the heart of the mountains. Link