Photo by Felix Vesker
Toronto-based atmospheric post-black trio A FLOCK NAMED MURDER is pleased to unveil their latest single, “To Drown In Obsidian Tides.” Now playing at Decibel Magazine, the track comes by way of the band’s stunning new full-length, Incendiary Sanctum, set for release on May 2nd on Hypaethral Records.
Never confined by genre, A FLOCK NAMED MURDER crafts an expansive and immersive sound merging elements of black metal, post-metal, doom, and death metal into a seamless whole. Their music resonates with fans of boundary-pushing acts like Agalloch, Neurosis, Inter Arma, Ulver, Fen, The Ruins Of Beverast, Ulcerate, and Cult Of Luna. Whether leaning into crushing intensity or weaving hypnotic atmospheres, each song is a journey – meticulously crafted yet organic in flow, sprawling yet cohesive, drawing listeners into deep, evocative soundscapes.
Comments Decibel Magazine on the band’s latest single, “To Drown In Obsidian Tides,” “You’re definitely getting your money’s worth with this track premiere from Canadian atmospheric black metal trio, A FLOCK NAMED MURDER. They’re offering up the 17-plus-minute ‘To Drown In Obsidian Tides’ from their upcoming second full-length, Incendiary Sanctum. The epic track finds the band… traveling an expansive, sludgy, doom-laden path complete with melodic, moody guitar work, raw-throated vocals, and a full-on black metal assault at its crescendo. It’s practically a mini-album on its own.”
Adds drummer/lyricist Cam Mueller, “We became burnt offerings. The dunes at our feet are ash and the flood to take us is Stygian. Nothing is forgiven in this place and time itself is unravelling. Sorrow knows no end. There was no rapture. The faithful and unfaithful together beget this carnage. Some, much like you. Wrath alone, it seems, has kept us aloft. For how long? Why won’t these desolate waters take us? If there is hope to be found here, it is a gruesome hope. As devastating as the fires within and without, that led us here. A clarion call to dissolution.”
Stream A FLOCK NAMED MURDER’s “To Drown In Obsidian Tides” HERE.
A FLOCK NAMED MURDER’s Incendiary Sanctum features cover art by Adam Burke (Nightjar Illustration) as well as several guest appearances including additional vocals by Luke Farndon of Drofnosura and piano by Rob McAllister of Centuries Of Decay on “Pierced Flesh Catharsis.”
Drum recording, engineering, and mastering was handled by Roland Rodas (Cavern Of Echoes Studio), additional drum recording, vocal recording, and 12-string acoustic guitar recording was handled by Matt Hems (Seventh Level Sound), while electric and bass guitar recording and mixing was handled by Greg Dawson (BWC Studios).
“The Eulogy Fields” and “To Drown In Obsidian Tides” field recordings were captured at Yosemite National Park in California and The Cathedral Church of St. James in Toronto, Ontario by Ryan Mueller and Cam Mueller respectively with all other samples rendered by Greg Dawson.
Incendiary Sanctum will be released on CD (limited to 300 copies), 2xLP on Molten Lava vinyl (limited to 100 copies), 2xLP on Black vinyl (limited to 200 copies), and digital formats.
Find preorders at the Hypaethral webshop HERE or Bandcamp HERE where first single, “Pierced Flesh Catharsis” can be streamed.
Incendiary Sanctum Track Listing:
- Garden Of Embers
- Pierced Flesh Catharsis
- The Eulogy Fields
- To Drown In Obsidian Tides
A FLOCK NAMED MURDER was born from a simple but powerful idea: to create music that is both potent and honest, unbound by expectations. Brothers Cam and Ryan Mueller first began writing and playing together in 2009, using their diverse influences to carve out a sound uniquely their own. Their goal was never to conform but to express the raw and visceral emotions that define the human experience – through the boundless spirit of creativity.
The band took on various incarnations over the years, initially with the moniker Sovereign, where they became a fixture in Toronto’s metal underground, sharing the stage with bands like Imperial Triumphant, Rosetta, and Falls Of Rauros. After recording their debut album, longtime friend and bassist Sean Shorting amicably departed in 2018, making way for the arrival of Mike Wandy on bass. With this final shift, the band rebranded as A FLOCK NAMED MURDER and released their first full-length, An Appointed Time, later that year.
This distinct vision has been well received both on record and on stage, where they’ve performed alongside Harakiri For The Sky, Mizmor, Oranssi Pazuzu, Hexis, and Miserere Luminis. With their upcoming sophomore LP, Incendiary Sanctum, A FLOCK NAMED MURDER pushes every element of their sound to its outermost limits. As diverse and sprawling as it is, the album stands as their most complete and uncompromising artistic statement to date – a bold exploration of extremity and emotion, crafted by a band unafraid to forge its own path.
A FLOCK NAMED MURDER:
Ryan Mueller – guitars, vocals
Mike Wandy – bass, vocals
Cam Mueller –– drums, lyrics
https://www.facebook.com/AmongTheFlock
https://www.instagram.com/aflocknamedmurder
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0LKpOT0HapRL1YXFJbMbIj
https://www.youtube.com/@aflocknamedmurder
https://linktr.ee/hypaethralrecords
https://instagram.com/hypaethralrecords
https://www.facebook.com/hypaethralrecords
https://twitter.com/hypaethralrecs
https://www.threads.net/@hypaethralrecords
https://bsky.app/profile/hypaethralrecords.com