(written by Islander)
We are about to present an ultra-long song, one that extends for nearly 17 minutes. However, it is not one that allows attention to wander, not even for a moment. It is instead an astonishing sonic spectacle that creates scenes of cataclysmic destruction and unchained madness, but also includes elegant, exotic, and unearthly melodic sensations that transport listeners into occult experiences. It presents chaos on a truly devastating scale but also becomes strangely spellbinding.
The song is a four-part suite named “Panzer First“, and it’s the closing opus on a new album titled Towards The Inevitable by the Long Island band Teloch Vovin. It will be co-released on May 8th by Thus Spake Qayin Records in conjunction with the band’s new An Eastern Temple Productions.
photo by Mousie Dixon
For those who may be new to Teloch Vovin, it was formed by guitarist/vocalist Grigori as “a conceptual work expressing the worship and ritual workings with the Forces of khaos, entropy, and death.” “Enochian in its nature, ‘teloch translates as ‘death,’ and vovin translates as ‘dragon,’ and is a reference to Samael the dragon of death, known in his fiery, destructive aspect as Satan.”
As the labels further explain, Towards The Inevitable “combines black metal with elements of traditional, death, and doom metal, as well as classical and ambient/electronic sounds.” The songs were recorded several years ago for a split release which never materialized, but they have since been revamped and updated.
This long song we’re now premiering begins with the sounds of soldiers marching, machine-guns firing, and bombs detonating — and then the music creates its own war zone. Abrasive guitars feverishly fire like automatic weapons; the percussion delivers cannonades; eerie wailing tones cascade overhead and others scream in frenzied convulsions; in the vocal department, wild shrieks and vicious roars explode.
The drums blast as the dense and destructive riffing maniacally writhes in swarms of grit, still accompanied by those ghostly wailing melodies up above, and punctuated by bursts of jolting savagery, blood-spraying screams that shift between the channels, and monstrously bellowing gutturals.
Violent madness and mutilating horror reign supreme — until the music shifts, creating a phase of tragic but also infernal grandeur. Bells toll; the drums momentously boom and stomp; the music sounds both anguished and exotic, swaying like a cobra and soaring as it carries an Eastern melody. But here too, the riffing becomes feverish and the vocals fervent in their fury or torment.
photo by Marissa Campos
The music shifts again. The drums again discharge like high-powered weapons, and symphonic strings and darting keys join the flickering guitars and brightly pealing organ keys to generate grand fanfares and fiery ecstasies. The music sounds elegant and intricate, even as other aspects continue to savagely assault and viciously ravage — and the vocals are still as mad as ever.
The video accompanying this dynamic sonic spectacle matches the song’s main themes by presenting both documentary scenes of mechanized warfare and an occult ceremony, investigations of both human destructiveness and forces beyond the traumatized world. We’ll also share Grigori’s statement about the song:
“’Panzer Fist‘ was written under the influence ov a Golachab working 2018-2019. As well as the suicide ov someone I was really close to. Rage builds to unbearable levels, unleashed the assault begins. Forward… Under the Dragon ov Deaths Banner, unto the Death’s Head True. Until all is nothing, and Nothingness is All!
“There is no political statement attached to ‘Panzer Fist’; rather, the concept relates to the Enraged Divine Spirit, rebelling and attacking the very walls of life itself, seeking freedom beyond Matter and form!”
MORE DETAILS
The song includes classical elements of violin, viola, and cello performed and recorded by Ben Karas at Frightbox Recording Studios, with additional classical compositions by Stephen Morris and Grigori. Its four parts have these titles:
Panzer Fist:
1. Infernal Blitzkrieg
2. Forward Advance/Delivering The Curse
3. Lightning Assault/The Creed Ov Khaotic Divinity
4. Apocalyptic Revelation/Towards The Inevitable
TELOCH VOVIN is:
Grigori – guitars, backing vocals
Saturnus – bass, backing vocals
Ash – drums
Baba Ogun – vocals
Etu Narum – vocals
C.O.S. – guitars
Azag – bells, samples, backing vocals
Proph – electronics
In addition to the members’ contributions and others identified above, the record also features a guest guitar solo by Sebastian Ramstedt (Necrophobic, Elfödd, In Aphelion) and Hebrew language passages spoken by Avi Levi. The album was completed with front cover artwork by Eam XI, inside artwork by Zeroth Q-ayn, photography by David Simmons and Casey Heney, and layout by The Temple Of The Headless One.
Drums were recorded/engineered by Ash at The Percussion Bunker; the bass was recorded by Saturnus at The Grotto, and C.O.S.’ guitars were self-recorded/engineered at Wind’s Lord Studios. Grigori’s guitars and all vocal recordings as well as the album’s mixing/mastering duties were handled by Mike Usifer (Prime Evil) – who has since joined the band – at Usifer Sound Studios and Aural Assault Studio.
As mentioned at the outset, Towards The Inevitable will be released on May 8th, on CD and digitally, marking the first release on the band’s new An Eastern Temple Productions. Thus Spake Qayin Records will be handling the CD release and a line of new merch items. Find more info via the links below, and after the links you’ll also find the previously released video for another album track, “The Rite Ov The Harvest Pt 1: The Rite Ov The Reaper’s Blade“.
PRE-ORDER:
Digital – https://telochvovin288.bandcamp.com/album/towards-the-inevitable-2
Physical/Merch – https://www.thusspakeqayin.com/category/teloch-vovin
PRE-SAVE:
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/telochvovin/towards-the-inevitable
TELOCH VOVIN:
https://telochvovin288.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/TelochVovinOfficial
https://www.instagram.com/telochvovin666
THUS SPAKE QAYIN:
https://www.thusspakeqayin.com
https://thusspakeqayinrecords.bandcamp.com
https://facebook.com/thusspakeqayin
https://www.instagram.com/thusspakeqayin