Cosmic ritualists Ethereal Riffian will release their new live album, Youniversal Voice, next week. Though the edition in which it’s released numbers less than 200 total, it’s clearly an offering of substantial importance for the band, who’ve packaged the CD in a special boxed version that also includes a story, photos, tea, incense, patch, magnet and so on — going for full sensory immersion. The album itself is over an hour long and features tracks from their two full-lengths, 2014’s Aeonian and 2011’s Shaman’s Visions, and while I can’t speak to how it goes with incense, the sense of ritual throughout is pervasive, from the patient intro “Sword of the Deathless” through the many languid grooves unfurled thereafter.

Psychedelic metal is a particularly hard sound to pull off, but the Ukrainian outfit work in harsher elements — gruff vocals, sharper-toned riffing, etc. — and only seem to add to the breadth of the trippy droning and lysergic flourish elsewhere. It’s a broad spectrum Ethereal Riffian cast, and while their name evokes an immediate Sleep comparison, there’s a lot more to Youniversal Voice than simple stoner idolatry.

The PR wire has release details:

Psychedelic Doomsters ETHEREAL RIFFIAN announce pre-orders of “Youniversal Voice”

Ethereal Riffian have found once again the right sonic vibrations to signify the sacral power of sound and spirit. With the live album “Youniversal Voice” – which features guest musicians playing ethnic instruments, didgeridoo and jembe – the band prooves their outstanding live potential!

“Youniversal Voice” is out on February 15th and the pre-orders of this new offering from this Ukraine’s psychedelic doom collective are now available at the band’s Bandcamp page: https://etherealriffian.bandcamp.com/

Tracklist:
01 – Sword of the Deathless (Intro)
02 – Beyond
03 – Thugdam
04 – Wakan Tanka
05 – March of Spiritu
06 – Voice of Reason
07 – Anatman
08 – Drum of the Deathless

Val Kornev (aka Stonezilla) – guitar/vocal/lyrics
Alexander Kornev (aka SAF) – bass
Max Yuhimenko (aka Southman) – lead guitar
Nikita Shipovskoi (aka Ship) – drums

https://www.facebook.com/etherealriffian/
https://etherealriffian.bandcamp.com/
http://etherealriffian.com/

Ethereal Riffian, Youniversal Voice (2016)

On the heels of a colored vinyl split between Undersmile and Bismuth, Netherlands-based imprint Tartarus Records has begun to take preorders for its next two releases, Suma‘s You’re Such a Disappointment: A Split Compilation 2005-2012 and Ethereal Riffian‘s new album, Aeonian. Both are also up for streaming through Tartarus‘ Bandcamp, which as fate would have it is where the preorder links go. Funny how these things work out.

Look and listen:

SUMA and Ethereal Riffian cassettes now available for preorder

The Bismuth / Undersmile split LP has landed a few weeks ago and is now available at our shop. Colored vinyl is sold out, but black vinyl is still available. Highly recommended!

On this month’s menu I have Suma’s ep/split comp You’re Such A Disappointment and the brand new album Aeonian by Ethereal Riffian. A dish best served cold and preferably in space.

TAR026 SUMA – You’re Such A Disappointment: A Split Compilation 2005 – 2012

Hailing from Malmö, Sweden and formed in 2001 : SUMA has been spreading the plague of their sonic weight, noise-ridden hallucinatory doom metal on the world for the past decade. Through these years they’ve lured hordes of humans into the lair with their devastatingly heavy, one way trip into the vortex live performances and crushing delivery on their recorded matters.

This cassette is a compilation of the EP’s and splits they did with bands like Pyramido, Ultraphallus and Unearthly Trance.

Edition of 100 silver cassettes
Comes in a screenprinted cardstock case

Listen/Preorder

TAR027 – Ethereal Riffian – Aeonian

“The second full-length album called Aeonian is the band’s most mature work, which unites all the best talents of its members. The eponimous book merged as a result of our intention to fully disclose the ideas and concepts of this album. While working on the narrative, we realized that from now on books would become an integral part of the band’s creative work, for they let reinforce the images created by the music and inculcate them in the consciousness of our listeners.

The band’s activity has two main objectives: to compose unconventional music, which is able to expand the frames of the listener’s musical perception, and to shed light on the existence of a subtler plane, whose laws if understood properly may help to perceive the reality on a deeper level. In order to achieve the abovementioned goals, we diligently work on each new release. That is exactly why the ones who get acquainted with the creative work of our band need to be very attentive.

We sincerely hope that the message care-fully integrated in our music is able to induce our listeners, and now our readers as well, to open up the new facets of existence and kindle the light of their true self, which will not dim even in the darkest nooks of Sheol.” -Ethereal Riffian

Edition of 100 black cassettes
Comes in a screenprinted cardstock case
Features exclusive artwork by Berbel Zijlstra

Listen/Preorder

https://www.facebook.com/TartarusRecords
http://tartarusrecords.com

Suma, You’re Such a Disappointment (2014)

Ethereal Riffian, Aeonian (2014)