Yesterday, Saturnal Records sets May 25th as the international release date for Djevelkult‘s highly anticipated second album, Når Avgrunnen Åpnes. A work of traditional black metal savagery that nevertheless retains a timeless freshness, Når Avgrunnen Åpnes ushers forth Djevelkult‘s long-awaited return after their bold ‘n’ brash debut album, 2014’s I Djevelens Tegn.
Hailing from Gjøvik, Djevelkult is a Norwegian black metal cult brought out of void in 2009 by Dødsherre Xarim, with a vision of darkness and chaos, and to spread a message of blasphemy against man and God. Xarim first started with a different set of members than the current lineup, but due to differences, imprisonments, and other situations, the lineup for the first year went into oblivion. Xarim then got together with the drummer Ond of Liktjern in 2010, and thus work of the evil chants started.
With Xarim and Ond as the primary lineup, Djevelkult recorded and released the demo Skapt av Helvetesild in the summer of 2011. At the same time, Beleth joined in band, and shortly after, Skabb did, as well. With the lineup now a four-piece, Djevelkult then wrote and recorded their debut album, I Djevelens Tegn, which was subsequently released by Morbid Shrine Productions in September 2014.
Ond left the cult in the summer 2014 due personal reasons and T.K. joined in as a live session drummer for the upcoming tour together with Kirkebrann. The next year was focused on playing at various festivals and concerts before Djevelkult entered a studio again. Xarim, Skabb, and Beleth started the recording of the guitars of the second full-length in the winter of 2014/15 at Gravkors Studios, and during the summer, the guitars and bass were completed. The year passed by and the studio sessions were set on a short break, for the band to focus on the IXXI tour of 2016 and festivals around the summer.
Former drummer Ond then decided to return to the band again, and Djevelkult bid farewell to their session drummer T.K. in the late summer of 2016. Then the band started to record the drums at the beginning of 2017 in the Kirkebrann studio, followed up by the recording of the vocals. Thus titled Når Avgrunnen Åpnes (“As the Abyss Opens” in English), recording for the second album was completed in the summer of 2017. Kark of Dødsengel handled the album’s mixing and mastering the album.
Built upon a foundation of cold ‘n’ filthy riffing laced with an atmosphere that’s both desperate and triumphant, Djevelkult‘s Når Avgrunnen Åpnes is some of the purest Norwegian black metal you will be able to find in modern times. The passion bleeds through every performance here; the ensuing songs stick in the listener’s head without relying on saccharine catchiness. But as with everything in the band’s restless ways, Djevelkult here chose to shape the new album with additional inspiration from guest artists: Draug of Kirkebrann sang and wrote the lyrics of “Vredeskvad”; Invisius of Blodhemn played the drums and sang and wrote the lyrics of “An Evil Unheard Of”; Ånneland played the second solo on “Apocalypse (Hellspawn)”; and Kleven plays additional guitar on “En Ny Tid.”
With more touring and live performances slated for later in the year, Når Avgrunnen Åpnes marks a momentous moment for Djevelkult. True Norwegian black metal is undead! Hear for yourself with the aforementioned new track “Apocalypse (Hellspawn)” HERE at Saturnal‘s official YouTube channel, as well as at Djevelkult‘s Bandcamp HERE. Preorder info to be announced shortly. Cover art, courtesy of Jose Gabriel Sabogal (Inferno, Whoredom Rife), and tracklisting are as follows:
1. Atomic Holocaust
2. Condemned Into Eternal Void
3. Når Avgrunnen Åpnes
4. En Ny Tid
5. Døpt I Helvetesild
6. An Evil Unheard Of
7. Apocalypse (Hellspawn)
8. Vredeskvad
DJEVELKULT lineup 2018
Dødsherre Xarim – guitar/vocal
Skabb – bass/vocal
Ond – drums
Beleth – guitar