“From the dawn of man’s quest to explain the unknown, there have been differing religious beliefs. What should have united us has divided us, and served as a catalyst for carnage and war. The truth is that there have been, and continue to be, extreme factions of every ‘popular’ religion dreamt up by man, who will stop at nothing to convert or kill in the name of their beloved ‘GOD.’ It is pathetic and pointless, but it is also inevitable.” — YIDHRA on “Reign Of Terror”
Stream “Reign Of Terror” HERE.
Cult Of Bathory is the impending new EP from California stoner/doom legion, YIDHRA. Set for official unveiling via Black Voodoo Records later this month, the follow-up to 2013’s critically-lauded Hexed full-length was captured live with master engineer and producer Bill Metoyer (Slayer, Corrosion of Conformity, Trouble, etc.) at Skull Seven Productions and boasts four dark, lead-footed hymns centered on the occult, witchcraft, life, death and imminent destruction.
Following a recent premiere of opening title track “Cult Of Bathory” at Invisible Oranges, Cvlt Nation is currently streaming closing crusher, “Reign Of Terror,” for communal ingestion.
“Although ‘Reign Of Terror’ was written a while ago, it is tragically very topical today,” elaborates vocalist/guitarist Ted Venemann of the track, which is heavy both musically and thematically. “What with the recent atrocities in Paris and all of the religious war bullshit going on all over the world, it seems that as long as people blindly follow the antiquated doctrines of their chosen deities, the tale is destined to repeat itself in perpetuity. Another blight on humanity; the curse of ‘us against them’ and self-righteous aggression.
“We rehearsed the night after the Paris attacks, and truthfully, I wasn’t thinking about anything except for what we were doing at that moment. You know – block out the world and focus on the task at hand. But, unexpectedly, as the words to ‘Reign Of Terror’ blasted from my lips, their poignancy slugged me in the gut and instantly engulfed me in a wave of melancholy. I thought about the people we knew who were there and how senseless the whole incident was. A genuine exercise in futility. I was literally taken aback for a moment after we finished. Thankfully, it was the last song of the set, so we took a break and I could clear my head.
“When [lead guitarist] Dave [Crocker] brought this song in, it was quite a contrast to what we had been doing and we were all instantly stoked to work on something new. The tempo, the energy and the progressions dictated the lyrical content from the get go. From the dawn of man’s quest to explain the unknown, there have been differing religious beliefs. What should have united us has divided us, and served as a catalyst for carnage and war. The truth is that there have been, and continue to be, extreme factions of every ‘popular’ religion dreamt up by man, who will stop at nothing to convert or kill in the name of their beloved ‘GOD.’ It is pathetic and pointless, but it is also inevitable.”
Sample “Reign Of Terror,” courtesy of Cvlt Nation at THIS LOCATION.
And if you missed it, check out “Cult Of Bathory” still streaming at Invisible Oranges at THIS LOCATION.
Since their inception in 2009, YIDHRA has drawn comparisons to the likes of Electric Wizard, Saint Vitus, Trouble and Candlemass. But there’s something singularly hypnotic about YIDHRA; an intangible allure slithering beneath the doom and gloom. Literally formed by the fates of tragedy, life and death, they’ve been able to rise above their roots of despair and use those experiences to forge a massively heavy, dark and catchy arsenal of material. Lyrically and visually, YIDHRA conjures strong horror and occult themes that yield a seductive sense of foreboding. Musically they build a mountain of distortion, groove, thunder and a haunting ambiance that can only be attributed to true devotees of the almighty riff, master practitioners of tone worship and a spiritual relationship with the Theremin. Though there’s been a steady evolution within the band over the years, YIDHRA‘s approach has always been focused on true expression; raw emotions and creating powerfully catchy kick ass songs.
YIDHRA will bring their doom-trodden odes to the stages of San Francisco, Portland and Seattle in January with additional live performances in their conspiring stages. Stand by for more info.
YIDHRA:
1/08/2016 TBA – San Francisco, CA
1/09/2016 High Water Mark – Portland, OR
1/10/2016 The Kraken Bar – Seattle, WA
Black Voodoo Records will release YIDHRA‘s Cult Of Bathory on December 18th, 2015 on limited 10-inch vinyl in three color variants: 100 blood red splattered, 100 purple sold exclusively through Black Voodoo Records, and 100 standard black. Cult Of Bathory will be available digitally on January 14th, 2016 with the CD edition to follow. Stay tuned for details.
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