After the dust settled, PATRIARKH emerged to carry on the legacy of Batushka. They take their sound to loftier places on ПРОРОК ИЛИЯ (Napalm Records). There is a more grandiose nature to the sound this album unveils. It leans more in the direction of symphonic black metal. Rather than being bolstered by a string section, they have incorporated an array of lush Eastern European sounds. This brings an almost Dead Can Dance vibe to the sonic tapestry putting them closer to what Rotting Christ does than Behemoth.Continue reading
Tag Archives: Batushka
Patriarkh (Formerly Batushka) Share a Single and Video for “Вершалин II” – New Album Coming Soon
Polish black metal icons, Patriarkh (formerly Batushka – centered around singer/mastermind Bartłomiej Krysiuk), have just dropped their new single “Вершалин II” (Lat. “Wierszalin II”). It is accompanied by an audio visualizer video, with the official video to follow. The track is taken from the upcoming studio album, Пророк Илия (Lat. Prorok Ilja), out on January 3, 2025 via Napalm Records. Check out the new visualizer video and more below.
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Abbath, Cadaver, Kirkebrann, Negative Plane and More Booked for Inferno Festival
Inferno Festival Norway has announced the next set of bands to play at their 2025 edition, April 17-20 in Oslo, NO. The festival now welcomes Abbath Doom Occulta among the headliners – performing a special set from his career with his former band – as well as Cadaver, Kirkebrann, Negative Plane, Udåd, Malum, Feral Nature, and Vingulmork. Keep reading below for more.
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Hellfest 2024 Books Metallica, Foo Fighters, Avenged Sevenfold, Machine Head, Body Count, Biohazard, Mr. Bungle and More
Hellfest, held every year just outside of Paris, in Clisson, France, continues to up the ante every year with forever growing and impressive lineups! Taking place from June 27 to June 30, 2024, Hellfest will once again be four days long and over 200 bands appearing on six stages. For 2024, the headliners for each night will be Avenged Sevenfold, Machine Head, Metallica, and Foo Fighters. The full daily lineups, including one more major band tba, and the ticket link are coming soon!
CONCERT REVIEW: Batushka – Swallow The Sun – Stormruler Live at the Brooklyn Monarch
Mid-August always carries a wistful air as the summer heat reaches full swing but so does our knowledge of its impermanence. What better way to quell our gloomy pondering than with a black metal show at The Brooklyn Monarch?
PREVIEW: 70000 Tons Of Metal 2023 Announces Running Order, Sets Sail Today
The 2023 edition of 70000 Tons of Metal Cruise is here! Setting sail today with 61 other world-class metal bands and 3000 fans on board the Freedom of the Seas, sailing from January 30 – February 3, 2023, from Miami, Florida to Bimini, Bahamas, and back. Ghost Cult will be there! For a last-minute addition to the cruise, Hypocrisy has joined up. The cruise has announced its running order, singing schedule, and more. If you missed the boat (sorry ?) this year, stay tuned to Ghost Cult for our review of the cruise, and how you can go next year!
CONCERT REVIEW: Batushka – Hate Live At The Brooklyn Monarch
Batushka and Hate took on The Brooklyn Monarch! I was very excited to be able to see these two Polish black metal titans together on the same bill. Hate, who I’ve seen a few times, always brings energy to the crowd and effectively keeps me coming back for more. Their rifts are heavy and evil, filled with anger and that undeniable black metal spirit. In direct contrast with their crowd, who were surprisingly friendly for being fans of a band called Hate. They were very accommodating to me coming in late and taking photos, and for that I would like to thank them. Fans would let me pop right in and out with ease, though my luck ran out when the almighty Batushka took the stage.
Diabolical and Batushka Book The “Black Liturgy Pilgrimage” Tour This Spring
Following the very successful Black Rituals tour in northern/central Europe this fall, Diabolical and Batushka will reunite for another tour in 2022 to do another European tour, this time focusing more on the southern regions of the continent. The “Black Liturgy Pilgrimage” will see Diabolical celebrating 25 years as a band, Diabolical are preparing a special set with songs that haven’t been performed live in recent years, but also new material.
GUEST POST: Andrew Mikhail of Serpents (US) – Top 25 Albums of 2019
It’s time for another Ghost Cult “End Of Year” Guest post! We’ll be sharing lists, memories, and other shenanigans from our favorite bands, partners, music industry peers, and other folks we respect across the globe all month long! Andrew Mikhail and his Orchestral Blackened Death Metal band Serpents (US) released their immaculate Temet Nosce release, played some tour dates formulated many plans for 2020. Andrew took some time out to share his personal Top 25 albums of 2019, and he also curated a Top 50 Spotify playlist available on the Serpents U.S. Page that deserves your attention too! Continue reading
FESTIVAL REVIEW: Bloodstock Open Air 2019
Now in its nineteenth year, the annual metal pilgrimage to Bloodstock Open Air at Catton Hall in Derbyshire was joined this year by a very special, but highly unstable, guest.
The weather.
Yes, I know it’s England in August, and we should be more than accustomed to inconsistent weather conditions, but this really was something else. Tents too hot to be inside one moment were waterlogged the next. People soaked to the skin by sudden, torrential downpours were suffering sunburn minutes later. Grass turned to mud, mud became rivers, and the unprecedented winds would go on to cause problems all of their own.Continue reading