Vocalist Lukas Nicolai comments: “‘Ride of the Valkyries’ is the grand finale ahead of the release of our new LP Echoes of a Forlorn Land. It closes the album (alongside intro “Dämmerbruch”) with heroic atmosphere, bombastic orchestration and uplifting melodies to tell the tale of Norse mythology’s angelic deliverers of the dead.
Symphonic death metal’s epic riffing serves as the perfect soundtrack to fallen warriors’ journey to Valhalla, as well as the battlefield below, where the likes of Children of Bodom, Wintersun and Ensiferum clash with each other and influences like black metal and deathcore.
We matched that with the biggest, most expensive and over-the-top production we’ve ever done, both musically and visually. We teamed up with production company Grupa13 (Behemoth, Amon Amarth) to create our own blockbuster, complete with a captivating intro and epic emotional ending. Throughout are stunning shots centered around a historically-accurate Norse village and re-enactors who focus on the time period to keep it true. This is basically our own little Viking movie!”
Produced, mixed and mastered by Jens Bogren (Dimmu Borgir, Behemoth, Kreator, Amon Amarth, Opeth), Echoes of a Forlorn Land pushes MENTAL CRUELTY beyond the foundations laid on Zwielicht, further expanding their uncompromising blend of extreme metal and dark atmosphere. Join their text list to stay up to date and be the first to hear about new tour dates and more.
Rotterdam @ Baroeg ~
Köln @ Club Volta ~
Birmingham @ Asylum ~
Paris @ Glazart ~
Antwerp @ Zappa ~
Copenhagen @ Hotel Cecil ^
Stockholm @ Kollektivet Livet ^
Jyväskylä @ Lutakko ^
Prague @ Rock Café ^
Aarau @ KIFF ^