Metal Shock Finland (World Assault )

Just in time for the release of their highly anticipated upcoming album, ПРОРОК ИЛИЯ (Lat. PROROK ILJA), Polish black metal icons PATRIARKH (formerly Batushka) unleash their forth gloomy single, “ВЕРШАЛИН VII” (Lat. WIERSZALIN VII). The conceptual full length, ПРОРОК ИЛИЯ (Lat. PROROK ILJA), drops tomorrow on January 3, 2025 via Napalm Records! The eight brand-new songs delve into the true story of Eliasz Klimowicz, the enigmatic Prophet Ilja, and transforms these events into dark yet mesmerizing atmospheres, interwoven with their deeply rooted Eastern Orthodox traditions.

“ВЕРШАЛИН VII” (Lat. WIERSZALIN VII) attacks mercilessly and sets free a relentless storm of black and death metal. The song kicks off with a compelling narration, before it drags listeners into a path of fierce blast beats and haunting screams. Once more, PATRIARKH nails their balance of various influences, defying all rules and setting their own path. “ВЕРШАЛИН VII” is now available on all streaming services worldwide.

“ВЕРШАЛИН VII” (Lat. WIERSZALIN VII) is now available on all streaming services worldwide | Listen to the Track HERE!

PATRIARKH on the new album:
“With this new release, we are starting a new chapter in our history – not only is our name changing, but our music is also undergoing a natural evolution. The story on the album encouraged us to get out of our comfort zone, and we reached for means that we had not used before in our music. Many of you will wonder if this is still black metal? Or is it even metal? Radio play, audiobook, theater, film soundtrack, folk music, performance… All these terms will fit here. Some will hate, others will love…”

 Pre-Order Your Copy of ПРОРОК ИЛИЯ NOW

Reborn PATRIARKH (formerly Batushka) returns with a masterpiece of arcane black metal!

ПРОРОК ИЛИЯ details a true story that happened in the band’s home area of Podlasie, in the village of Grzybowszczyzna, in the 1930s and 40s. The album takes the listener into the world of Eliasz Klimowicz, the titular Prophet Ilja, an illiterate peasant who was the leader of the Orthodox Grzybowska Sect, active until the 1960s, cultivating and transmitting the history of the self-proclaimed prophet. PATRIARKH spread their gospel by using an arsenal of folk instruments, such as tagelharpa, mandolin, mandocello, hurdy gurdy and stringed dulcimer, and worked with a symphony orchestra and choirs to give their new creations the most organic and vivid feeling possible. As is trademark with PATRIARKH’s music, Orthodox sacredness is mixed with black and doom metal, now largely enriched with folk music, neo dark folk, and even film music. The band utilizes the entire palette of Orthodox music, venturing into the areas of Byzantine monody, liturgical chant and Russian polyphony, neatly adapting folk and liturgical melodies to their own style. 

The lyrical side of ПРОРОК ИЛИЯ is an interesting mix of theater and pastoralism. PATRIARKH uses fragments of texts from the theater play “Prorok Ilja” and draws from the messages contained in the works of Włodzimierz Pawluczuk, combining it with folk and liturgical texts. On ПРОРОК ИЛИЯ, listeners can hear various languages – and Polish for the first time ever! The album was recorded in January and May 2024 at Tall Pine Records (Behemoth, Zalewski, Afromental), Heinrich House (Behemoth, Vesania, Hate), Wem Studio (Kasa Chorych, Lukasyno, Cira) and Radio Białystok studio. Mixing and mastering was handled by Wojciech Wiesławski at Hertz Studio (Vader, Behemoth, Decapitated), and production was helmed by band mastermind and leading vocalist Bartłomiej “Варфоломей” Krysiuk. “ПРОРОК ИЛИЯ is an album full of emotions, sentimentalism and folklore. It’s pastoral, lyrical, epic, multidimensional and multicolored, just like my Podlasie is multicolored,” says Варфоломей. Dive into the deepest of all shadows with this black metal masterpiece and join PATRIARKH on this intriguing ride!  

ПРОРОК ИЛИЯ tracklisting:
1. WIERSZALIN I (Lat.) – ВЕРШАЛИН I (Cyrillic)
2. WIERSZALIN II (Lat.) – ВЕРШАЛИН II (Cyrillic)
3. WIERSZALIN III (Lat.) – ВЕРШАЛИН III (Cyrillic)
4. WIERSZALIN IV (Lat.) – ВЕРШАЛИН IV (Cyrillic)
5. WIERSZALIN V (Lat.) – ВЕРШАЛИН V (Cyrillic)
6. WIERSZALIN VI (Lat.) – ВЕРШАЛИН VI (Cyrillic)
7. WIERSZALIN VII (Lat.) – ВЕРШАЛИН VII (Cyrillic)
8. WIERSZALIN VIII (Lat.) – ВЕРШАЛИН VIII (Cyrillic)

PATRIARKH recently returned from global touring, but they are not slowing down! Tomorrow, the band will reveal the new album in full during their release show together with a symphonic orchestra and male choir. Don’t miss the chance to attend and experience the spirit of true patriarchs and dark Orthodox sacredness live as they hit the road for Poland in March.

PATRIARKH Live 2025

NOWY WIERSZALIN Poland 2025
03.01.25 PL – Łódź / Wytwórnia – SINFONIA ORTHODOXIA w/symphonic orchestra and male choir
22.02.25 PL – Krosno / Rock Klub Iron
07.03.25 PL – Wrocław / Transformator
08.03.25 PL – Zabrze / CK Wiatrak
09.03.25 PL – Kraków / HYPE PARK
14.03.25 PL – Lublin / Fabryka Kultury Zgrzyt
15.03.25 PL – Olsztyn / Scena Zgrzyt
16.03.25 PL – Warszawa / Klub Proxima
17.03.25 PL – Białystok / Zmiana Klimatu
21.03.25 PL – Gdynia / Podwórko.art
22.03.25 PL – Szczecin / Kosmos
23.03.25 PL – Poznań / 2progi

PATRIARKH are:
ВАРФОЛОМИЕЙ – Vocals
ЛЕХ – Drums
МОНАХ ТАРЛАХАН – Guitars
МОНАХ БОРУТА – Guitars
АРХАНГЕЛ МИХАИЛ – Guitars
ХИАЦЫНТОС ЯЦА – Choir
ЯЗЫЧНИК – Choir
 
PATRIARKH online:
WEBSITE
INSTAGRAM
FACEBOOK
TIKTOK
X
NAPALM RECORDS