Ukrainian Folk Black Metal band WAIDELOTTE present their new song ‘Crimson Waves‘, a sweeping and affecting digital standalone single.

Listen via Bandcamp, on DMP‘s YouTube channel and all streaming platforms.

On ‘Crimson Waves‘ the core of vocalist Andrii (FLOSCULE, ex-WHITE WARD), bassist/main composer Zlat (ex-SOEN), guitarists Bohdan/Mykhailo and drummer Igor (ex-SECTORIAL) use multifarious vocal styles – by turns anthemic, emotive and vicious – powerfully interwoven riffing and an epically dynamic arrangement to juxtapose the agonies of war with recollections of bygone beauty.

The band states:

“This song reflects the Russian annexation of Crimea and the looting of historical artifacts, many of which have been illegally removed from the peninsula. The single’s cover art alludes to this narrative quite literally!“

Alongside the new single, WAIDELOTTE also present a special t-shirt design (man’s/woman’s) featuring the cover artwork. Orders for the t-shirt are possible via DMP’s EU and Bandcamp shops, and the single can be obtained from Bandcamp.

WAIDELOTTE is a new Extreme Metal act from Ukraine which skillfully combines Black Metal, melodic Death Metal and Progressive Metal with traditional Folk singing and instrumentation. The project gathers individuals with diverse musical backgrounds, including members of SOEN, WHITE WARD, NAONI ORCHESTRA, Тінь Сонця, SOLAR KOLLAPSE, and CASA URAINA amongst others.

“Stormy days forge the will,
hard times break steel,
terrible hours harden,
only the time is fading away!” (‘Lightkeeper‘)

Ukrainian Progressive Extreme Metal ensemble WAIDELOTTE present the full album stream of their inaugural release, “Celestial Shrine“. This impassioned and addictive debut balances violent riffing, driving rhythms, fluid basslines and raging vocals with a poignant sense of melancholy via exultant rural harmonies and the use of native instruments including the duduk, bandura, tsymbaly and hurdy-gurdy.

“Celestial Shrine” emerged amidst the Russian war of aggression on Ukraine. WAIDELOTTE‘s use of folklore elements serves as an emotional homage to the locales the band members hold dear. Main composer Zlat narrates:

“I’m a pure metalhead but also a music pervert, haha! When it comes to traditional Folk music – something rings inside me, I have goosebumps. So, for me, if it’s any kind of Metal I write, I also want to put the DNA of my ancestors in it. I want to create that extra vibe which you will not find in other bands. Ukrainian culture has around 500,000 folk songs, among which 15,000 of them are officially in UNESCO Heritage, and I’m not even mentioning all these restrictions we have faced on our national musical instruments, mostly by the Russian Empire and then the Soviet Union (especially during the 30s), so that’s why we put a lot of bandura, lyra (hurdy-gurdy), tsymbaly, ethnic singing and other stuff on our album. Sometimes, if you lose your home, you rather keep your identity, support your culture, and make it alive. The culture creates a home, and we need to save it whenever we go.“

Vocalist Andrii adds:

““Home is where the heart is.” For me, it’s first of all Kherson and the region around the city. I grew up there. I traveled a lot across the region, discovering its beautiful sites: boundless fields, endless seashores, mighty steppes – the sacred lands of ancient nomad tribes, the biggest European artificial forest, mesmerizing salt lakes, the biggest island in the Black Sea, and, of course, the Dnipro reedbed with its lakes and small rivers. All these places became my Home. The entire country feels like home, and Odesa also evokes a similar feeling, but Kherson is the Home which is meant by the capital letter. I was devastated when Russians occupied the region. I was even more devastated when I understood that all my sacred places are covered with mines, and I won’t be able to visit them long after the de-occupation. My grief reached new heights when Russians blew up the Nova Kakhovka dam, destroying multiple natural habitats and lots of houses (the one that belongs to my parents was also damaged by the flood).

A few days after the explosion, I was sitting by the seaside observing islands of reeds, roofs, trees, and tons of garbage drifting along the coast. These were small parts of my Home: raped, devastated, and flooded into the sea. Luckily, I understood, what the Home meant for me before the war started, and spent lots of time, exploring it. The war, however, showed me how much I love it. Although Russians continue shelling my native city daily and use the region’s sacred places as training grounds for their army, I believe that one day I’ll be able to return to my Home. It will never be the same, but it will be safe and clear from the occupiers and their mines, shells, and other deadly pieces of equipment.“

Released today, March 29th via Debemur Morti Productions, WAIDELOTTE‘s debut album “Celestial Shrine” is available on CD, vinyl and digital formats. The launch is accompanied by a specially designed t-shirt, with orders available through our EU, US (no merch) and Bandcamp shops.

WAIDELOTTE is a new Extreme Metal act from Ukraine which skilfully combines Black Metal, melodic Death Metal and Progressive Metal with traditional Folk singing and instrumentation. The project gathers individuals with diverse musical backgrounds, including members of SOEN, WHITE WARD, NAONI ORCHESTRA, Тінь Сонця, SOLAR KOLLAPSE, and CASA URAINA amongst others.

“I am power and morning dew,
I am salt dissolved in the sea,
the celestial shrine is my soul,
the temple that overcame both decay and the sick.” (‘Celestial Shrine’)

Three weeks prior to the much-anticipated release of their debut album, “Celestial Shrine“, Ukrainian collective WAIDELOTTE reveals a second taster. The album’s title track is a stunning fusion of folk-inspired, progressive guitar elements, vocals that oscillate between tranquility and ferocity, and vigorous drumming. ‘Celestial Shrine‘ truly epitomizes the album’s overarching atmosphere, perfectly encapsulating its core spirit.

Composer Zlat recounts the song’s origins:

“Everything started with a folk intro melody which afterward was played on tsymbaly. Usually, I compose in a kind of expressionist way, so everything after the intro is a flow, a natural feeling of what should be played next. It’s like storytelling, not a bunch of riffs in a logical way. The song includes polyrhythmic verses which are followed by a simple catchy chorus with an expressive guitar solo, a melodic bandura drop but also an aggressive metal blast piece – it’s a many-sided outspread composition that shows our protagonist’s perfection.“

Vocalist Andrii contributes insights regarding the lyrical aspects:

“This song describes the final culmination of the album. It shows the lyrical hero at the highest point of his journey, encountering his omnipotence. The ability to harness the endless power was always hidden in the depths of his personality. However, it took a long journey to reveal the hidden treasures. Just like the lyrical hero, we have different hidden talents that require patience and practice to be revealed.“

Discover all details about the album here!

Due for release March 29th via Debemur Morti Productions, WAIDELOTTE‘s debut album “Celestial Shrine” will be available on CD, vinyl and digital formats. The launch is accompanied by a specially designed t-shirt, with pre-orders available through our EU, US (no merch) and Bandcamp shops.

WAIDELOTTE is a new Extreme Metal act from Ukraine which skilfully combines Black Metal, melodic Death Metal and Progressive Metal with traditional Folk singing and instrumentation. The project gathers individuals with diverse musical backgrounds, including members of SOEN, WHITE WARD, NAONI ORCHESTRA, Тінь Сонця, SOLAR KOLLAPSE, and CASA URAINA amongst others.

The band’s debut album will be released via Debemur Morti Productions in 2024.

Ukrainian Progressive Extreme Metal ensemble WAIDELOTTE (ft. members of WHITE WARD and SOEN) unveil the first offering from their upcoming album, “Celestial Shrine,” titled ‘The Era Of Stagnant Gods.’ The track masterfully interweaves aggressive, high-energy sections with progressive and melodic touches. In its final act the song crescendos in a fusion of intense screams, eerie female vocals, truly captivating Folk influences and the powerful dynamics of Extreme Metal.

Discover ‘The Era Of Stagnant Gods‘ through the video presentation below or via Bandcamp:

Due for release March 29th, WAIDELOTTE‘s debut album “Celestial Shrine” will be available on CD, vinyl and digital formats. The launch is accompanied by a specially designed t-shirt, with pre-orders available through our EU, US (no merch) and Bandcamp shops.

“Celestial Shrine” narrates a journey of catharsis (details here). It follows a fictional character undergoing rebirth, culminating ultimately in enlightenment. ‘The Era Of Stagnant Gods‘ explores a specific chapter of this odyssey, as described by the band’s composer and guitarist, Zlat:

“It is the starting point of our character’s ‘depression’ phase, the beginning of his fall. That’s why the music here is heavy and fast at the same time. Falling down is not something that can be extended in time. It’s something that happens rapidly and keeps you inside the whirlpool. Black/Death metal riffs attack with anger and fury to then be replaced with more melodic parts that contain ethnic elements and represent despair and apathy. This is how we interpret the feeling of “falling down”: you constantly switch between anger and apathy until the final crash enters the game. In the song, the final burst of anger is replaced by a coda with powerful ethnic singing. It’s like a mockery of those who have fallen: it’s not the end – get ready for worse things. As a part of the story, the song sheds light on a person who gives up, surrounded by nonentities who offer up faceless despicable prayers to the stagnant Gods and idols of our era.“

Vocalist Andrii adds:

“The lyrical hero is disappointed in himself and the world in which he lives. Stagnation is what surrounds him and annoys him. To some extent, we can talk here about the period political scientist Fukuyama called ‘the end of history.’ But in the context of the song, this is such an individual interpretation of this stage on a much smaller scale. In the song, as in the album, we explore nothing but the individual downfall and subsequent rise of the main character. Disappointment, fatigue, despair, fear, and many other factors are the baggage with which the lyrical hero goes on a journey to catharsis. But at this stage, he is not aware of the ultimate goal. So far, he has only one path – down to the bottom, where he expects to lose himself and get rid of those burdens that make life unbearable.“

WAIDELOTTE is a new Extreme Metal act from Ukraine which skilfully combines Black Metal, melodic Death Metal and Progressive Metal with traditional Folk singing and instrumentation. The project gathers individuals with diverse musical backgrounds, including members of SOEN, WHITE WARD, NAONI ORCHESTRA, Тінь Сонця, SOLAR KOLLAPSE, and CASA URAINA amongst others.

The band’s debut album will be released via Debemur Morti Productions in 2024.