Irityll's debut EP Unlight didn't cause much of a stir when it was released back in 2020, but it probably should have. The band, consisting of Spire of Lazarus guitarist Julius Kössler and bassist Thomas Féanis, practise a blend of blackened death metal that sets itself apart by sounding as much like mid-period Bloodbath as it does In Sorte Diaboli-era Dimmu Borgir. Now Irityll [sic – it's German, you see] are gearing up for the release of their first full-length, Schlafes Bruder [tr. "Brother of Sleep"], later this year, and we're proud to be bringing you the lyric video for its debut single "Sterngeißel" [tr. "Starscourge"].
Unlike Unlight, all the lyrics on Schlafes Bruder are in German and Austrian dialect, but you'll find an English translation printed below. On the surface, it's all abstract apocalypticism, but FromSoftware fans will recognise the title of a certain rotted demigod, which—along with the band's name—suggests an age of frenzied flame* is indeed upon us. As for the music itself, "Sterngeißel" is a much more blackened affair than the material on Unlight. Rather than a rabid, Swe-death assault, the track begins as an ominous trudge, before erupting into a lethal barrage, reminiscent of Dark Funeral or even Satyricon at their most expansive, and the Unlight EP shows they have plenty of other tricks up their sleeve. It's a strong start to what promises to be a late-year highlight of underground, extreme metal. Pontiff Sulyvahn would be proud.
*Or dusk, or stars, or despair, etc.
English lyrics:
Dark shadows sweep across the firmament, the world’s soul shatters,
there will be no escape,
a sinister storm descends upon the worlds.
Cursed being born from the abyss,
Its power is unholy,
Everything that can save you will be lost. The gods tremble,
Before his wrath, they quake,
No light remains, only endless darkness.
The canopy of clouds tears apart as stars fade away, The world descends into chaos,
The souls of your idols burn out.
Despair and suffering fill the air,
The scourge of the stars
Consumes everything with fury.
A final whisper as the end begins, Doom approaches,
Everything fades and dissolves.
But in the wake of this apocalypse, Hope sprouts,
From the ruins of your existence, New calamity arises.