Polish black metallers Varmia have unveiled the second video single, "der tot Adalbert", from their forthcoming full-length, lauks, due on 27 March via M-Theory Audio.

"With this song, we take an unusual look at the pages of history. Since chronicles are written by the victors, events that actually took place may be interpreted in many different ways", explains singer/guitarist Lasota. "The mission of Adalbert of Prague was a milestone in shaping the newly formed Polish state, which at the time desperately craved a martyr or a founding hero. These events took place on our land and are directly bound to the history of our ancestors, the Old Prussians. Thus, failing to speak up in this embroiled matter would be a failure on our part. This song was recorded live, not far from where these events took place more than a thousand years ago."

"This album is the quintessence of our understanding of natural, raw intensity, teetering on the verge of chaos", states Lasota. "As always, we recorded it live – this time among the ruins of one of the many castles still standing on our land. Within its empty, derelict halls, we discovered a new dimension of musical naturalism. The aura of the place is embedded into the sound, reverberating through the slower hits of the instruments. The title 'lauks' refers to the way our ancestors coexisted in groups of communes or settlements. In the context of this album, it signifies identity, territorial instinct, and the sharp line between us and them."

lauks a much more straightforward and intense Varmia raging through a darkened track of raw, primal black metal that still clings to their Baltic roots, abetted by adding in percussion and traditional instrumentation, and is available now for pre-order on limited-edition 300 warm blood colored vinyl (with insert and download code), jewelcase CD with 12-page booklet or digitally.

Varmia was formed in 2016 by composer Lasota with a mission of fusing black metal with musical influences that pay tribute to the ancient Baltic tribes of the historical Warmia region of northern Poland. Vocally, harsh growls shroud the band's music and native Polish lyrics in a visceral aura, the only breaks occurring when using the traditional, ancient technique of "whitevoice" clean singing as utilised during ancient East-Central European rituals, rites of passage and festivals. Meanwhile, the power of the band's metal influences is enhanced by traditional ethnic instrumentation of the Baltic rites via sounds of tagelharpa, goat horn, lyre (gęśle), tribal drums, wood tuba and krivula. The final result is a compelling mix of dark metallic sounds that channel the spirit of early Enslaved, Satyricon, Wolves In The Throne Room and folk elements that drive acts such as Wardruna and Heilung.

Varmia has released four albums to date: Z mar twych (2017), W ciele nie (2018), bal Lada (2021), and Nie Nas Widze (2023), their first collaboration with M-Theory Audio. Link