As civilisation continues to eat itself, heavy music’s dark spiritual quest has never seemed more vital. Emerging from the shadows of eastern Poland back in 2015, BATUSHKA have already established themselves as one of the modern era’s most powerful and evocative bands. Harnessing the fire and fury of arcane black metal and channelling it through the reverberant grandeur of ancient rituals of worship, the band’s debut album Litourgiya stood apart from the extreme metal hordes: a monument to originality, depth and dark mysticism that swiftly cast its spell over the metal underground and beyond.
As BATUSHKA took their music to the people, its power seemed to multiply tenfold, forging a profound connection with an increasingly rabid international fan base. As a result, the band’s imminent return in 2019, with their second and most devastating ritual to date, is set to be an event of undeniable significance. Named after an Old Church Slavonic word for God, Hospodi enhances all the unique qualities that made the band such an instant phenomenon, while offering an entirely distinct and fresh sensory experience, replete with the most ferocious and bewitching songs the Poles have penned to date.
“The metal tracks stand up as individual monuments of atmosphere and noise, but the whole brilliantly transcends the sum of its parts. Hospodi is a brilliantly inventive and subversive work of intelligent, immersive darkness from a band that deserve your full attention right now.”- Kerrang!
The band comment on Hospodi, “The whole album is a concept based on the Liturgy of Death, the prayers for the dead, and Orthodox funeral rites and dirges. It’s all about a ritual that involves the dead and the mourners. We also used a lot of old folk songs and elegies from our homeland. These are sung during the wake, around the casket, in the deceased person’s home. Nowadays, only a few older people know them and still sing them accordingly in our region. We decided to cherish that tradition and I’m glad that with our album these songs and rites will survive.”
BATUSHKA will finally be bringing their sinister sermons to Australia this October and November. Their live show is one of legend now with Distorted Sound Mag recently exclaiming “We were part of their congregation in Manchester to witness their live ritual. As aroma from the incense and candles swirled in the air the band created a moving and captivating atmosphere that held the audience’s attention throughout. Maintaining this atmosphere through a Gregorian choir added splashes of melody through orchestral chanting and soft percussion instruments supporting their chaotic riffing, BATUSHKA‘s ritualistic performance was mesmerising to say the least”.
TOUR DATES:
Sunday, October 27: Amplifier Bar, Perth 18+
Tuesday, October 29: Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide 18+
Thursday, October 31: The Valley Drive In, Brisbane 18+
Friday, November 1: The Basement, Canberra 18+
Saturday, November 2: Croxton Bandroom, Melbourne 18+
Sunday, November 3: Factory Theatre, Sydney 18+
Tickets on sale Thursday 18 July @ 9am local time
tickets.destroyalllines.com
