(written by Islander)
The Russian band Into The Fray released their self-titled first full-length in 2021. They think of it as a foundation, as “a collective image of a decade-long history,” but not the complete achievement of their ambitions. They view their second album Deofolist, which will be released in May of this year, as an evolution, and as a more well-formed demonstration of the path they have now found and intend to continue following.
In a nutshell, Into the Fray have been inspired by groove metal, and they mention Pantera, Lamb Of God, and Hatebreed among their inspirations. Lyrically, they have focused (particularly in Deofolist) on military history, on tales of warfare across the centuries, pointing to the thematic influence of bands like Bolt Thrower and Just before Dawn. As you’ll see, their music sounds like warfare too.
The name of the song we’re premiering today is “S(owulo) T(eiwaz) T(urisaz)” — and in the song you’ll hear gang chants of the three initials. We don’t know what the band intended by those three words, but they are similar to the Old Norse names for the runes of sun, spear, and thorn.
As you might expect from what you’ve read above, “S(owulo) T(eiwaz) T(urisaz)” is heavy-grooved, hard-charging, and warlike in its demeanor.
The song ferociously surges from the very beginning, with a big engine rumbling and pumping like pistons through the work of the rhythm section. The corrosively toned riffage violently slashes and exuberantly roils as the vocalist furiously snarls, barks, bays, and screams like an enraged beast, eventually joined by gang shouts of “S… T… T.”
The riffing also delvers rapid jolts and bursts of sinister slithering. As the song evolves the music also begins to sound desperate and fearful — though when the track becomes savagely assaulting again it reaches exhilarating new heights with a wild string-melter of a guitar solo.
Near the end, the band bring in sounds of mechanized combat rhythmically firing, and a final dose of sinister, slithering, and bursting riffage backed by percussive battering.
INTO THE FRAY:
Igor Sokolov – vocals
Vadim “Dante” Kiyasov – guitars
Roman Misuryaev – guitars
Artem Kozlov – bass
Andrey Sariev – drums
The album also features Mikhail Shaev (ex-Siberian Meat Grinder) on the song “Teufelsbrucke” and Alexandra Sidorova (Мещера) on the track “The Oath“. The artwork was created by Mayhem Design.
Deofolist will be released by the Georgia-based label Satanath Records on April 15th, in a jewel-box CD edition with a 16-page booklet (limited to 500 copies), and digitally.
For more info check the links below. We’ve also included a stream of the album’s first single, “Teufelsbrucke“.
PRE-ORDER:
https://satanath.bandcamp.com/album/sat385-into-the-fray-deofolist-2025
INTO THE FRAY:
https://intothefrayband.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/intothefray_rus