Belle Morte closes out 2025 with a final, intimate release: the acoustic version of “My Legacy,” taken from the band’s debut album Crime of Passion.
Stripped back to its emotional core, this new version reveals a different side of “My Legacy.” The symphonic weight gives way to atmosphere and nuance, letting the song’s melody and meaning take center stage. It’s a reflective moment, deliberate, and honest, that feels like a farewell, and a thank you at the same time.
Previous videos from “Crime of Passion”:“Lace” Acoustic version: Watch – Stream “Crime of Passion”: orcd.co/crimeofpassion
Previous videos from Pearl Hunting: “Jorōgumo” Ft. Hisashi, Reigen Fujii, Souzan Kato: Watch – “Willow” Ft. Ruben Monteiro, Emma Spinelli: Watch – “Exorcism” Acoustic Version: Watch – Pearl Hunting: Watch – “Exorcism” Ft. Ulziisaikhan Khoroldamba: Watch – ” September” Ft. Ruben Monteiro: Watch – “Black Waters” Ft. Maulana Malik Ibrahim: Watch – “Blame me” Ft. Lernik Khachatrian: Watch
About Belle Morte
Formed in Minsk, BELLE MORTE combines dark symphonic metal with gothic, progressive, and melancholic elements. After their 2018 EP Game On, the band signed with Wormholedeath in 2021 to release Crime of Passion, a conceptual album inspired by John Fowles’s The Collector. Their second album continues this global approach, delivering unique symphonic metal experiences for fans seeking something different.
Symphonic gothic metal project BELLE MORTE keeps expanding its world with new acoustic versions of songs from the acclaimed album Pearl Hunting. “Lace,” originally featured on the previous record Crime of Passion, returns as a special release to mark the sixth anniversary of one of the band’s most notable singles. The track turns six on December 9.
Known for blending symphonic metal with an array of ethnic instruments from around the world, BELLE MORTE’s Pearl Huntingalbum features collaborations with artists from over a dozen countries, creating a unique global sound. The acoustic “Lace” offers both longtime fans and newcomers a chance to experience the band’s cinematic storytelling in an intimate, stripped-back form.
“Jorōgumo” Ft. Hisashi, Reigen Fujii, Souzan Kato: Watch – “Willow” Ft. Ruben Monteiro, Emma Spinelli: Watch – “Exorcism” Acoustic Version: Watch – Pearl Hunting: Watch – “Exorcism” Ft. Ulziisaikhan Khoroldamba: Watch – “September” Ft. Ruben Monteiro: Watch – “Black Waters” Ft. Maulana Malik Ibrahim: Watch – “Blame me” Ft. Lernik Khachatrian: Watch
About Belle Morte
Formed in Minsk, BELLE MORTE combines dark symphonic metal with gothic, progressive, and melancholic elements. After their 2018 EP Game On, the band signed with Wormholedeath in 2021 to release Crime of Passion, a conceptual album inspired by John Fowles’s The Collector. Their second album continues this global approach, delivering unique symphonic metal experiences for fans seeking something different.
Gothic folk metal act BELLE MORTE is proud to announce the release of the official music video for their latest single, “Jorōgumo.” A masterful blend of dark, heavy metal and traditional Japanese music, the track features an extraordinary collaboration with three highly acclaimed Japanese artists: Hisashi (koto, arrangement of Japanese instrument parts), Reigen Fujii (shamisen), and Souzan Kato (shakuhachi).
Inspired by Japanese folklore, Jorōgumo tells the tale of the spider demon who lures her prey with beauty and deception. Featuring traditional instruments such as koto, shamisen, and shakuhachi, arranged and directed by Hisashi, the track fuses gothic and industrial metal with haunting Japanese textures.
This track takes listeners on a journey through twisted forests and shadowy realms, weaving a tale of temptation, entrapment, and dark enchantment.
Music Video Full Credits:
–VIDEO PRODUCTION Winterlight Studio –DIRECTOR Riccardo Ceppari –ART DIRECTOR & EDITOR Martina Pizzi –DOP Riccardo Ceppari –DOP ASSISTANT Giulio Barnabò –MAKE UP ARTIST Cristina Attanasio –COSTUMES Annamode Costumes –BACKSTAGE Giulio Barnabò –CONCEPT Martina Pizzi, Belle Morte
MINSK TROUPE –CAMERAMAN Artiom Korol –BACKSTAGE Vadim Bloshnianitsa –MAKE UP ARTIST Diana Makovets
Hisashi:
Hisashi is a professional koto player and composer based in Japan. He has built a wealth of experience playing the koto, both in Japan and overseas. His music career has allowed him to work with clients all over the world, including Japan, the U.S., the UK, Canada, Germany, Norway, and Portugal. He has taken part in several recording sessions for music composers, producers, record labels, an award-nominated composer, and a prize-winning composer. As a composer, he specializes in a mixed style of modern music and traditional Japanese music. He has composed music for singers, dance projects, promotion videos, art projects, etc. In the 2022 Petrichor International Music Competition, he was selected as a semi-finalist. His music style was established through his own unique music career. He has been familiar with traditional Japanese music since he was born because his mother is a koto teacher. He also started playing the piano when he was 6, and he started playing the drums in a rock band when he was 13. He has been a member of many rock/metal bands as a drummer and composer. He also has a passion for electronic music and experiments with modern sound-making by sampling traditional Japanese instruments.
A pioneer who established his own shamisen chord theory and adopted new performance techniques to develop innovative approaches to Western music. In 2012, he won the 5th champion of the national shamisen competition and became the youngest winner ever. He promotes shamisen by holding workshops around the world and has led many students to become prize winners. Currently, he also often appears on TV shows and radio programs, and collaborates with various artists.
Souzan KATO is a professional shakuhachi player based in Japan. He is a certified master of the Tozanryu Shakuhachi Foundation. He graduated from the Traditional Japanese Music Course at Nagoya College of Music and completed the master’s program in the Graduate School of Music at the same university. He was awarded the Gold Prize at the Tozanryu Honkyoku National Competition in 2015, 2018, and 2021. Also, he received the Minister of Education Award and the Sankei Newspaper Award. He engages in performance activities both domestically and internationally, including lectures and performances at universities in Asia, Europe, and North America.
The track is taken from the band’s critically acclaimed album “Pearl Hunting”, released via Wormholedeath Records, further cementing Belle Morte’s place among the most captivating voices in modern symphonic metal.
Pearl Hunting: Watch, “Exorcism” Ft. Ulziisaikhan Khoroldamba: Watch, “September” Ft. Ruben Monteiro: Watch, “Black Waters” Ft. Maulana Malik Ibrahim: Watch, “Blame me” Ft. Lernik Khachatrian: Watch, “Exorcism” Acoustic version: Watch, “Willow”: Watch
About Belle Morte
Formed in Minsk, BELLE MORTE combines dark symphonic metal with gothic, progressive, and melancholic elements. After their 2018 EP Game On, the band signed with Wormholedeath in 2021 to release Crime of Passion, a conceptual album inspired by John Fowles’s The Collector. Their second album continues this global approach, delivering unique symphonic metal experiences for fans seeking something different.
Symphonic metal phenomenon BELLE MORTE unveiled their haunting new music video “Willow”, featuring Ruben Monteiro (hurdy-gurdy) and Emma Spinelli (lute), just in time for Halloween.
Inspired by gothic romance and classic vampire cinema, “Willow” unfolds as a bloody fairytale of desire, fate, and secrets kept in the dark. The video captures Belle Morte’s signature blend of elegance and darkness, bringing their cinematic vision to life through striking visuals and a deeply emotive narrative.
Video Production: Winterlight Studio Director: Riccardo Ceppari Art Director & Editor: Martina Pizzi DOP: Riccardo Ceppari DOP Assistant: Giulio Barnabò Make Up Artist: Cristina Attanasio Hair Stylist: Barbara Roma Costumes: Annamode Costumes Backstage: Giulio Barnabò Concept: Martina Pizzi, Belle Morte
Cast: Mr. Murray: Emanuele Arciprete Countess De Ville: Belle Morte Polidoro’s Ghost: Ruben Monteiro
The track is taken from the band’s critically acclaimed album “Pearl Hunting”, released via Wormholedeath Records, further cementing Belle Morte’s place among the most captivating voices in modern symphonic metal.
Previous videos from Pearl Hunting: “Pearl Hunting”: Watch “Exorcism” Ft. Ulziisaikhan Khoroldamba: Watch “September” Ft. Ruben Monteiro: Watch “Black Waters” Ft. Maulana Malik Ibrahim: Watch “Blame me” Ft. Lernik Khachatrian: Watch “Exorcism” Acoustic version: Watch
About Belle Morte
Formed in Minsk, BELLE MORTE combines dark symphonic metal with gothic, progressive, and melancholic elements. After their 2018 EP Game On, the band signed with Wormholedeath in 2021 to release Crime of Passion, a conceptual album inspired by John Fowles’s The Collector. Their second album continues this global approach, delivering unique symphonic metal experiences for fans seeking something different.
BELLE MORTE, one of the rising forces in symphonic female-fronted metal, return with a new acoustic takeon their hit single “Exorcism”. Stripping the track down to its raw, emotional core, the video highlights the band’s signature dark atmosphere while offering a fresh perspective on the fan-favorite song.
Known for blending symphonic metal with an array of ethnic instruments from around the world, BELLE MORTE’s Pearl Huntingalbum features collaborations with artists from over a dozen countries, creating a unique global sound. The acoustic “Exorcism” offers both longtime fans and newcomers a chance to experience the band’s cinematic storytelling in an intimate, stripped-back form.
Previous videos from Pearl Hunting: Pearl Hunting: Watch “Exorcism” Ft. Ulziisaikhan Khoroldamba: Watch “September” Ft. Ruben Monteiro: Watch “Black Waters” Ft. Maulana Malik Ibrahim: Watch “Blame me” Ft. Lernik Khachatrian: Watch
About Belle Morte
Formed in Minsk, BELLE MORTE combines dark symphonic metal with gothic, progressive, and melancholic elements. After their 2018 EP Game On, the band signed with Wormholedeath in 2021 to release Crime of Passion, a conceptual album inspired by John Fowles’s The Collector. Their second album continues this global approach, delivering unique symphonic metal experiences for fans seeking something different.
Emerging as one of symphonic metal’s most innovative acts, BELLE MORTE returns with their highly anticipated album, Pearl Hunting, set for release on January 24, 2025, through Wormholedeath Records. Known for their dark, gothic edge and symphonic depth, Belle Morte ventures into bold new territory with Pearl Hunting, merging symphonic metal with a global array of traditional instruments that beckon listeners on a unique sonic journey.
Pearl Hunting – A Global Collaboration of Sound and Spirit
Just as pearl divers plunge deep into mysterious waters in search of rare treasures, Belle Morte has delved into diverse musical traditions to craft Pearl Hunting. This ambitious album features 11 meticulously crafted tracks, each produced in collaboration with a lineup of guest musicians from across the globe. Recorded across continents, the album combines symphonic metal’s majesty with traditional sounds from countries as far-reaching as Mongolia, Japan, and Peru, blending Eastern, Celtic, and Latin influences into a transcendent fusion.
A Rich Musical Tapestry Woven with Rare Ethnic Instruments
Pearl Hunting stands out for its bold use of ethnic instrumentation, drawing from Belarusian, Celtic, Mongolian, Japanese, and Andean music. The band incorporates an impressive range of instruments, including the Belarusian duda, Ukrainian sopilka, Celtic bouzouki, and Armenian duduk, alongside the Peruvian pan pipes, Indonesian suling and gamelan, and Japanese shamisen, koto, and shakuhachi. Each track offers its auditory landscape, pairing symphonic metal’s intensity with the haunting allure of the Trinity College harp or the guttural, earthy tones of the morin khuur.
Stories as Profound as the Music
Beyond the instrumental richness, Pearl Hunting is also lyrically profound. The album explores themes of love, lust, inner conflict, and resilience. Belle Morte seamlessly intertwines these personal journeys with vivid storytelling, conjuring tales of supernatural beings, vampires, and ancient folklore. Listeners are invited to journey alongside the band into an otherworldly realm where music transcends conventional metal fusions.
For a glimpse into the mystique of Pearl Hunting, dive into the title track’s lyric video:
With the soul-stirring beauty of global folk traditions intertwined with an atmospheric sound, this track gracefully beckons listeners to step into Belle Morte’s journey.
Tracklist: 01 Pearl Hunting Feat. Hunt Max Kerner, Caterina Castiglioni, Yanina Yakshevich, Ada Rusinkiewicz 02 Falling Idol Feat. Tero Kalliomäki 03 Exorcism feat. Ulziisaikhan Khoroldamba 04 Blame Me Feat. Lernik Khachatrian 05 Wintersleep Feat. Ella Zlotos, Marta Masciola 06 Losing Faith Feat. Carlos Carty 07 Black Waters Feat. Maulana Malik Ibrahim 08 Willow Feat. Emma Spinelli, Rúben Monteiro 09 September Feat. Rúben Monteiro, Ada Rusinkiewicz 10 Jorōgumo Feat. Hisashi, Reigen Fujii, Souzan Kato 11 Krew Feat. Yaroslav Dzhus, Alex Pilkevych, Ada Rusinkiewicz 12 Exorcism (Acoustic Version)
About Belle Morte
Founded in Minsk, Belle Morte burst onto the scene with their debut EP Game On in 2018, establishing themselves with a haunting blend of dark, melancholic symphonic metal. Their first full-length album, Crime of Passion (2021), signed under Wormholedeath Records, solidified their reputation with a conceptual journey inspired by John Fowles’ The Collector. Crime of Passion narrated a twisted, layered tale of obsession and tragedy, while the band’s latest work, Pearl Hunting, showcases their evolution into global musical storytelling.
With their second album, Belle Morte takes symphonic metal to a new frontier, blending haunting melodies, progressive and gothic elements, and an unmistakable melancholic vibe. Each track on Pearl Hunting is a unique experience, promising fans a breathtaking ride through uncharted musical waters.
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