AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: KAOSOPHIA — “FUNERAL OF THE GODS”

(written by Islander)

The Ukrainian black metal band Kaosophia released their last album, Serpenti Vortex, a long eight-plus years ago. In attempting to describe the music here, we used such words and phrases as “tyrannical and magisterial, doom-shrouded and savage, hallucinatory and harrowing,” a union of “blood-rushing energy and brain-twisting psychosis” but music that was also capable of creating “an atmosphere of mythic, warlike grandeur”.

At last, Kaosophia are now returning, with a new album named Beyond the Black Horizon that’s set for release on December 12th by the UK label Serpent Sun Records. The first single from the album, “Funeral of the Gods“, is the subject of the video we’re premiering today.

Serpent Sun provides this introduction to the album: “Beyond the Black Horizon is a dark and malevolent opus that explores themes of darkness, existentialism, and the human condition. Kaosophia’s ethos preaches orthodox ideas of Satanism — total unconditional worship — and the cognition of pain to gain access to another level of reality’s perception.”

Through “Funeral of the Gods” Kaosophia seize attention immediately and never let go. The dissonant opening notes ring like sinister, surreal chimes and throb with an ominous pulse. With a savage pick-scrape as prelude, the rhythm section magnify that throb and the drums deliver a quick battery, and with a ferocious scream as prelude the blasting begins and the riffing grows more incendiary (but it also still rings).

The screamed vocals are frighteningly intense; the heaving grooves deliver menacing, muscle-moving power; the drums continue shifting gears; and, following an unnerving bridge, the whirring guitars seem to wretchedly wail, a blistering and piercing manifestation of distress.

After another disturbing bridge Kaosophia open the throttle wide, with bounding rhythms and wildly roiling and darting riffage let loose, along with those terrorizing screams and an eruption of blasting. The music blazes and soars, like bonfires reaching high, while those muscular, throbbing rhythms keep a strong grip on the pulse-rates of listeners.

The melodic through-line of the song (brilliant chimes and feverishly shivering chords still ringing) remains intact, but the band vary it in the song’s final phase, making it fierce and defiant — and heads will bang at the same time.

As for the red-shrouded video, it’s extremely well-made (by Corvin Film), interleaving film of the band throwing themselves into the song’s performance and varieties of occult imagery. It makes for excellent visual accompaniment for a tremendous (and tremendously infectious) song — and we’re delighted to bring it to you now.

KAOSOPHIA are:
DR – vocals
IK – Guitars
SI – Guitars
KM – Bass
DB – Drums

The album was recorded at Pit’ma Records and Miasma Studio, and it was mixed and mastered by Stas Red Semiletov at Red Beard Studio.

The fantastic cover art is the work of Dávid Glomba (acrylics on paper). Entitatem Null Arts provided additional art and layout, and Gurge Feodor created additional illustrations.

Preorders for the album (on digital, CD, and vinyl LP formats) and T-shirt are now available via the Serpent Sun Records webstore, Bandcamp and Plastichead (see the links below).

PRE-ORDER:
https://kaosophia.bandcamp.com/album/beyond-the-black-horizon
https://serpentsunrecords.8merch.com/
https://serpentsunrecords.8merch.us/
https://www.plastichead.com

KAOSOPHIA:
https://www.instagram.com/kaosophia_band
https://www.facebook.com/Kaosophiafff
https://kaosophia.bandcamp.com/