Swiss medieval black metal project SZIVILIZS will release its second full-length, Totätänzer, on December 17 via Dominance of Darkness Records, on CD and vinyl LP. The first taste, album opener "Fründ Hain", premiered today on the label's YouTube channel.
The project's mainman, who goes simply by Szivilizs, put out a first demo in 2019, followed by three splits and an EP before the 2022 debut album Grabsuchtslieder. Nearly five years on, Totätänzer (roughly "death dancers", a nod to the medieval danse macabre) turns its gaze to the Renaissance. Drummer Dyet joins Szivilizs on this record.
The label describes the sound as raw yet colorful: "stained-glass" synths, buzzing tremolo guitars and anguished screams over patient, mid-paced rhythms, with the Swiss Alps and old sandstone towns as the backdrop. Reference points range from early ABIGOR and EMPEROR to LUSTRE, UNGFELL and DARKENHÖLD. The theme is the oldest one in the book: death comes for everyone, farmer's wife and emperor alike. Song titles in Swiss German dialect underline the old-world mood. The cover art is by Luciana Nedelea.
Tracklist:
- Fründ Hain
- Kaisertod
- Gaugäfäuder
- Bärner Jungfer
- Chlepfsaft
- Minnesang
- Das Landschnächtslied
- Vo Siechä u Cheibä
Label: Dominance of Darkness Records
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