Atmospheric black metal outfit SOTABOSC has announced their debut full-length album “El Batec dels Maquis”, set for release on April 17 via Dunk!Records. To mark the occasion, the band has unveiled their first single and 17-minute monolith “El Batec dels Maquis / Records vius en la foscor”, offering a raw, intense first glimpse of what’s to come.

Listen to “El Batec dels Maquis / Records vius en la foscor” below and Stream it HERE

SOTABOSC was founded in 2023 in Barcelona by Oscar Linares and Manel Song, known for their work in Syberia, together with Xavi Forné, creator of the dark-folk project Ulmus and founder of
Error! Design. In 2025, the project solidified with the addition of David Rodríguez on vocals and Gerard Serrano on bass, completing a lineup deeply connected to the Catalan underground scene.

Firmly rooted in an anti-fascist ethos, SOTABOSC conveys its message through lyrics sung entirely in Catalan and a carefully crafted visual identity, including artwork, logos, stage aesthetics and graphic materials. Their artistic and political discourse form a coherent whole that is integral to the project.

Tracklist:

01. Nerthus
02. Heimdall
03. Freyja
04. El batec dels Maquis / Records vius en la foscor

The band’s debut album unfolds in two complementary sections. The first reimagines three compositions from Ulmus, originally instrumental and written for acoustic instruments, now transformed into a sound shaped by atmospheric black metal with strong post-rock influences. The new lyrics focus on animals, forests and the natural environment, forming a narrative arc that connects with the second half of the album.

The second part consists of a single track exceeding 15 minutes, where SOTABOSC expresses its purest musical identity: raw black metal roots, expansive instrumental passages and experimental structures inspired by post-rock. The vocals – harsh and evocative – pay tribute to the Maquis and their anti-Francoist resistance in Catalonia during and after the Civil War.

With this debut, SOTABOSC establishes a project in which identity, narrative intent and sonic depth merge into an artistic statement that is both musical and political.

“El Batec dels Maquis” was recorded, mixed and mastered at Siete Barbas Studio in Barcelona by Daniel Gil, with layout design handled by Error! Design and symbology created by Woodcvtter Illustration. 

Line-up:
Xavi Forné (Error! Design, Malämmar, Ulmus)
Òscar Linares (Syberia)
Manel Song (Amargor, Syberia)
David Rodríguez (Arna)
Gerard Serrano (Hurricäde, Llacuna, Leavs)

Links:
https://www.instagram.com/sotabosc_official/
https://www.facebook.com/sotaboscofficial/
https://sotaboscband.bandcamp.com/