(written by Islander)
At the end of October, just in time for Samhain night, the Dutch black metal band Asgrauw will return with their sixth album, Oorsprong. It is unusual in more ways than one, including its conceptual storyline — and it is indeed an epic story that the album tells. Drawing upon Mesopotamian mythology, it is described this way by the labels that will release it:
“The album’s narrative is inspired by the Annunaki, the ancient deities said to have come from the sky. Through a blend of storytelling and music, Asgrauw weaves a tale that highlights the legacy of these celestial beings and offers a perspective on the modern age as seen through their eyes, culminating in a dramatic portrayal of humanity’s fate.
“Asgrauw takes you through the stories of Anu and Alalu, Enki and Enlil, but also those of Gilgamesh and Nergal for example. How centuries of struggle for land and gold drove exotic species to turn primates into a slave civilization and by portraying themselves as divine beings, could keep them under control.”
Each song on the album is a chapter in this narrative about gods and men, and the rise and fall of empires, and we’re premiering a video for one of those musical chapters today — a song called “Apada“.
“Apada” is the third chapter in the album’s story. Before reaching it you’ll encounter “Kosmische strijd“, which thematically delves into the origin of our star system, unrest on the planet Nibiru, the coup of Alalu on Lahma, and the battle between Anu and Alalu which causes the latter to flee his home planet.
And then comes “Eridu“, which tells of Alalu crash-landing on the planet planet Eridu (Earth) and discovering that it contained an enormous amount of gold. Alalu then returns to his home planet with the news, and the thought of retaking his throne. The new ruler, Anu, gives Alalu one-third of Eridu as a territorium, but this is not enough for Alalu. He fights again with Anu, loses again, and is again exiled.
That will bring you to “Apada“. In this chapter, now that Alalu is gone, the songs of Anu — Enki and Enlil — take charge of Earth, mining gold with their men. But the process doesn’t go fast enough for their liking, and so they create the Apada to serve them.
In the music of this song, Asgrauw deliver raging and roiling riffage, tumultuous bass-lines, and blasting percussive fusillades, matched with scalding screams of hair-raising intensity. As the drums shift into a hard-rocking gallop, the music also sweeps and swirls, with an air of desperation in the melody, and ethereal tones ring in the music’s upper reaches, indeed celestial in their reverberations and contrasting with the abrasive and ravaging conflicts below.
While palpably feral and ferocious, as well as cruel and bleak, the music achieves a feeling of vastness and unearthliness, in keeping with the lyrical tale it tells.
The video not only gives us a view of Asgrauw performing, but also hints at the ways in which they take this ancient mythology and use it as a lens for modern times.
We also will share a stream of the previously released song “Weeral“, which appears fifth in the running order. It is described as follows:
Flying cities return to earth. The divine beings choose some of the Apada to teach them life lessons and install them as kings. Boredom reigns among the saint’s descendants. There is Gilgamesh, the demigod who could only fight. He defeated all evil in the world but also the property of the gods. After his tribunal, unrest arises among the divine beings. Some descend to Eridu to enlighten the Apada.
The song is often dismal and downtrodden in its mood, but still otherworldly, and it becomes defiant and belligerent while still sweeping listeners off their feet with wondrous sonic waves that expand on a breathtaking scale. The vocals themselves portray different characters, some barbaric, others imperious.
ASGRAUW is:
Kaos – Bass, Vocals & Words
Vaal – Guitars & Vocals
Batr – Drums & Synths
True to their ethos, Asgrauw crafted Oorsprong entirely in-house, with the band members writing, recording, and mixing the album themselves. Mastering was done by Devi Hisgen, and credit for the artwork goes to Ronarg.
Oorsprong will be released on October 31st, on vinyl, CD, cassette tape, and digital formats, by Zwaertgevegt (NL) and Hidden Marly Production (JP). They recommend the album for fans of Darkthrone, Tsjuder, Marduk, and Whiskey Ritual.
We also want to report that Asgrauw will perform an album release show on November 1st at De Pull, Uden, The Netherlands (with Hellevaerder and Zwart).
ORDER:
Vinyl: https://www.zwaertgevegt.nl/product/asgrauw-oorsprong-pre-order-vinyl/
CD: https://zerodimensionalrecords.bigcartel.com/product/hmpcd
Tape: https://www.zwaertgevegt.nl/product/asgrauw-oorsprong-pre-order/
Shirts: https://voidwanderer.com/product/asgrauw-anunnaki-merch/
Digital: https://asgrauw.bandcamp.com/
Live tickets: https://www.livepul.com/agenda/asgrauw-hellevaerder-zwart/%C2%A0
ASGRAUW:
https://linktr.ee/Asgrauw
https://www.facebook.com/Asgrauw
https://www.instagram.com/asgrauw
Https://asgrauw.bandcamp.com