New Këkht Aräkh video for the introspective track “Castle,” new album out Friday

KËKHT ARÄKH SHARES THE VIDEO FOR THE INTROSPECTIVE AND CLANDESTINE ALBUM TRACK “CASTLE“

NEW ALBUM MORNING STAR
OUT THIS FRIDAY VIA SACRED BONES

Këkht Aräkh will release Morning Star this Friday March 27th, and the album finds him arriving at a truer, more refined version of himself. Recorded between Berlin and Stockholm, the album emerges from a period of intense personal and artistic growth, blending aggressive black metal passages with textured, immersive soundscapes that feel both intimate and vast. The lo-fi warmth of the tape Portastudio imbues the record with a tangible, analog immediacy, lending grit and character to every note while allowing drifting, melancholic melodies to linger.

Këkht Aräkh has consistently sought to carve a distinctive path within black metal and has established a signature contrast between ferocious, visceral black metal and delicate, introspective ballads: a dynamic that reaches new depth on Morning Star.

The final pre release single arrives today by way of a video. On “Castle”, Këkht Aräkh whispers confessions into the ears of listeners with the same vulnerability and intimacy which colours the rest of the album.

About the track, Dmitry comments;

“Castle” started from the main chorus. I wrote the first rough version of it in my apartment in Berlin in 2023. The song is about escapism, the desire to hide from a hostile reality while waiting for some kind of release, salvation, or maybe just an ending.

The image of the “Castle” appears here as a symbol of a certain feeling and longing that has been part of the project since the first album. Musically, the song stays within Këkht Aräkh’s usual style, with clear influences from 90s Norwegian black metal, and in some places it almost directly quotes it.

The outro was inspired by Current 93, like many of my interludes and ballads. It’s a simple song, but an important one for the album, since it was written very early and helped shape the overall direction of the record. The background ambient sample was arranged by Varg²™ and SPÖKE and adds a lot to the song’s atmosphere.

Reflecting on the creation of the Morning Star, Dmitry says: “This album was created at a point where I’m more skillful as an artist, with a much clearer sense of my own sound than in my earlier work. It explores a different emotional palette – rawer, more honest, and more personal. On this record, I feel more like myself than ever before.” The writing and recording process was not without its challenges: stress, anxiety, and long stretches of writer’s block shaped the music, giving it a rare vulnerability and immediacy.

Dmitry recorded nearly all instruments himself, with drums contributed by Jonathan (Spira Me, Vanskapth, Olycka). Bladee appears on “Eternal martyr”, adding his vocals and co-writing lyrics – a collaboration that may seem unlikely at first, yet reveals an intuitive chemistry. Both artists share a commitment to world-building, emotional directness and carving a singular path outside their respective genres. Despite their different genres, Dmitry has long admired Bladee’s introspective lyrical style and saw how it could translate into black metal without disrupting the genre. Bladee’s own interest in black metal created a natural space for collaboration, and the project grew organically from their shared fascination with bridging their musical worlds.

The spirit of unexpected yet natural synergy extends to the rest of the album’s collaborators. VS–55 and Varg2™ helped shape the record through abstract sampling and subtle textural design, giving Morning Star its distinctive grain and analog warmth. James Ginzburg (Emptyset, Osmium) completed the final mastering, enhancing its dynamic depth and atmospheric richness.

With Morning Star, Këkht Aräkh synthesizes past explorations with new collaborative energy, producing a record that honors 90s black metal tradition while embracing lo-fi warmth, sonic experimentation, and emotional candor. It is a deeply personal statement. It is an album that is both an arrival and a continuation of Këkht Aräkh’s artistic journey.