Katharos XIII just launched their last single until the release of their upcoming fourth studio album entitled Chthonian Transmissions. This single, which is also the title track for the new album, is a 13 minute long journey that starts with a buildup that is both atmpospheric and full of tension, the bass guitar providing the general theme, with the saxophone being very much present from the beginning. That tension inevitably bursts into a fast, intense black metal part which continues to be “haunted” by diverse saxophone elements. After an intermission at the middle, as if to let the listeners catch their breath a little, the song then quickly gains momentum with powerful drums, riffs and black metal vocals, just to ebb and flow again into a more rhythmic section. The addition of clean female vocals provides another layer to the song, an element that completes their complex musical picture. The buildup tension explodes in intensity at the latter part of the song, effectively creating a wall of sound effect.
Chthonian Transmissions is a powerful song, leaning more on the black metal elements of their musical identity, contrasting with their first single “Neurastenia”, which delves more into their atmospheric doom sensitivities, with their signature dark jazz elements being present throughout both songs. Give Chthonian Transmissions a listen below:
The new Katharos XIII album Chthonian Transmissions is set to be out on the 23rd of May 2022 via Loud Rage Music. As experienced briefly in the title track described above, the album features 6 new long tracks that blend dark jazz with doom and black metal, among other influences, creating a unique atmosphere. This soundscape became a trademark for Katharos XIII and builds on the previous album Palindrome, released in 2019, which was widely appreciated by the public and critics alike.
The album artwork is done by Alexandru Das, who also directed the official video for the first single Neurastenia. You can watch the video below:
Emilian “Fulmineos” Matlak is the band’s founding member. He is also known in the underground world for his contributions to bands such as Ordinul Negru, Kultika and Argus Megere. Here are his thoughts on Katharos XIII’s new album: “The new album encapsulates six different dreams delivered from the times when the itinerant cosmonauts had a telluric existence. We like the words of Kurt Vonnegut and the imagery of Andrei Tarkovski, so we tried to embed this in our aesthetics and in every word or expression to resonate with our own personal philosophy.”
Katharos XIII is:
Manuela Marchis-Blînda – vocals, keyboards
Emilian Matlak – guitars, keyboards, vocals
Alexandru Iovan – tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, vocals
Gabriel Both – drums
Péter Hanos-Puskai – bass
guest:
Alexandru Das – additional guitars and keyboards
You can pre-order Chthonian Transmissions online here: https://loudragemusic.bandcamp.com/album/katharos-xiii-chthonian-transmissions
