December 1st was more than just the beginning of the end of an eventful year, it is also the anniversary of the death of the wickedest man in the world.

While occult master Aleister Crowley has been a subject of countless songs, artworks and background stories of some of the most influential metal and rock releases of all time, Dutch Industrial metal artist DAN BROOKLYN remains the one who truly rolls out the red (or rather black) carpet for Crowley.

With fresh Gothic and Nu-Metal influences, ranging from scene giants such as Alice Cooper or Rob Zombie up towards Rammstein, Dan Brooklyn entwines the bloodcurdling musical saga surrounding one of the most notorious and infamous men to have ever walked the earth. Naturally, Dan Brooklyn himself does not shy away from breaking boundaries and has found his niche as one of Europe’s most hopeful names in Shock Rock. Explicit images, disturbing lyrics, partly taken out of Crowley’s own writings, and haunting instrumentals all build up to the epos that is his very first album, The Great Beast. With the help of Athanasia’s Caleb Bingham (Ex-Five Finger Death Punch) as a producer and fellow musician on the record, Brooklyn has managed to create his very own signature sound that has heads turn immediately.

On the album, Dan Brooklyn takes the listener on a journey throughout Crowley’s life and practices, while never glorifying, but rather raising awareness of Aleister Crowley’s deeds and philosophies. About Mr. Crowley himself and the story of the album, Dan Brooklyn says: “Crowley was feared by his god-fearing contemporaries; celebrated as a pioneer and free thinker by the counterculture generation of the 60s and 70s. But which of the many faces is Crowley’s true face? Was he the misunderstood, libertine pioneer that paved the way for the Age of Aquarius? Or was he the selfish, sex- and drug-addicted narcissist that his critics claim him to be? Listen to The Great Beast and find out for yourself!” As a closing track on the album, Dan Brooklyn has put the Midas touch on what perhaps might be the best-known song ever written about Aleister Crowley: Mr. Crowley, which is set to be released as a single on December 3rd, the 74th birthday of Ozzy Osbourne, is not only a steady favorite in every metalhead’s playlist, but gains new appeal through the Rammstein-esque vocals and beautifully built up instrumentals. But there’s more: December 6th marks Mr. Randy Rhoads’ birthday, so he’ll be honored with the release of the music video for Mr. Crowley. One thing’s for sure: You haven’t heard Ozzy that way. Dan Brooklyn underlines: “I think we succeeded in creating a dark, original, and cinematic cover of this song; one unlike anyone has heard before!”

On his recent video single Chamber of Nightmares, Dan Brooklyn proves his ability as a promising song writer, combining his style-defining mix of industrial metal, goth and shock rock with a huge portion of catchiness – making the track a true highlight of The Great Beast. The song also has quite a few surprises in store, one prime example of that being a highly melodic solo that wouldn’t feel out of place on a modern In Flames song, featured in the first half of the track. Brooklyn says the following about his underlying inspiration: “’In 1920, Crowley founded the Abbey of Thelema in Cefalu, Sicily. A temple, spiritual center and anti-monastery, that he wanted to transform into a global center of magical devotion. Aleister covered its walls in surrealistic murals; massive, colorful images of cyclopes, goblins and other creatures. He referred to his bedroom as the ‘Chambre des Cauchemars’ – the ‘Chamber of Nightmares’ – and sometimes locked his devotees in his bedroom for hours on end after giving them hallucinogens. The psychedelics probably caused the murals to come to life, and Crowley did this in order for his devotees to ‘overcome their fears’. The song is about the events described above, and probably the most radio-friendly track on the record. It features samples of Crowley saying ‘Courage!’ and ‘Or as flowers in their beauty, for the chamber of righteousness’.”

Get the album right here: https://orcd.co/danbrooklyn

Tracklist

01 93 (The Dawn of an Enigma)
02 Boleskine House
03 The Power of Darkness is More Than Just a Superstition  
04 The Midnight Flower Unfurled 
05 The Equinox of the Gods
06 Droppings From the Host of Heaven
07 The Great Beast
08 The Most Powerful Being in the World
09 Chamber of Nightmares
10 Scattered Through the Galaxy Like Grains of Sand 
11 Liber XLIV (The Mass of the Phoenix)
12 The Poet
13 Mr. Crowley  

“The sin which is unpardonable is knowingly and willfully to reject truth, to fear knowledge lest that knowledge pander not to thy prejudices.” These are the adjective words of none other than Aleister Crowley, the master of occult practices, the wickedest man in the world, the source of sex magick, but also a renowned painter, poet and ceremonial magician. A man who was ahead of his time – but seems to widely be swept under the heavy rug of modern zeitgeist, despite his undeniably remarkable influence on it.

ow, Aleister Crowley’s biography and practices are about to get embarked once more in the most honorable way possible: Netherlands-based artist DAN BROOKLYN has been in touch with the other side ever since his early childhood. The result of a lifelong bond with all things spiritual, occult and mythical has cemented in  The Great Beast – a concept album about the life and practices of Aleister Crowley, released digitally on December 1st, the 75th anniversary of Crowley’s death. No other than Athanasia’s Caleb Bingham (former Five Finger Death Punch) went shoulder to shoulder with Brooklyn to carefully weave the bizarre, yet intriguing story that The Great Beast set out to tell.

Today marks the release of what may be one of the most controversial songs on the album: The track Liber XLIV (The Mass of the Phoenix), drawing recognizable musical inspiration of shock rocking acts such as Alice Cooper or Rammstein, describes a single person ritual – and thereby one of the stories that made Aleister Crowley the (in)famous man he is. The track itself inevitably touches on the most extreme ceremonies of Crowley, while never taking away from its main quality: being a wicked good Industrial Metal song. The magick drone and underlying sexiness of Bingham’s guitar play, and its intertwining with Brooklyns mesmerizing voice make the experience all the more electrifying.

Watch ‘Liber XLIV (The Mass of the Phoenix)’ Official Video (CENSORED) at THIS LOCATION.

On the full-length album, the versatile musician, who has studied at the prestigious Metal Factory in Eindhoven, Netherlands and has already toured the stages of Europe as the drummer of Athanasia, takes the listener on a journey throughout Crowley’s life and practices, while never glorifying, but rather raising awareness of Aleister Crowley’s practices and philosophies. About Mr. Crowley himself and the story of the album, Dan Brooklyn says: “Crowley was feared by his god-fearing contemporaries; celebrated as a pioneer and free thinker by the counterculture generation of the 60s and 70s. But which of the many faces is Crowley’s true face? Was he the misunderstood, libertine pioneer that paved the way for the Age of Aquarius? Or was he the selfish, sex- and drug-addicted narcissist that his critics claim him to be? Listen to The Great Beast and find out for yourself!”

Pre-Save the album The Great Beast by Dan Brooklyn right here: https://orcd.co/danbrooklyn

Tracklist

01 93 (The Dawn of an Enigma)
02 Boleskine House
03 The Power of Darkness is More Than Just a Superstition  
04 The Midnight Flower Unfurled 
05 The Equinox of the Gods
06 Droppings From the Host of Heaven
07 The Great Beast
08 The Most Powerful Being in the World
09 Chamber of Nightmares
10 Scattered Through the Galaxy Like Grains of Sand 
11 Liber XLIV (The Mass of the Phoenix)
12 The Poet
13 Mr. Crowley