Swedish gurglechurn purveyors of cultish psychedelic drear Saturnalia Temple late last year announced the permanent acquisition of Kennet Granholm for the drummer role. They had Tim Call (Aldebaran) sit in for 2015’s third album, To the Other, which was released through The Ajna Offensive and Listenable Records, alongside bassist Peter Karlsson and founding guitarist/vocalist Tommie Eriksson, and they’ll head out on tour starting next weekend in Europe and the UK to continue to herald their particular brand of the peculiar, a darkened swirling cauldron that continues to boil as though by forces unnatural.

To further the blend of weirdo doom and guttural oozing, the trio have a new video now for “Black Sea of Power” from To the Other. Also the name they’ve given the run of shows, it’s a fitting enough example of their methods, and of course the clip itself is rife with obscure death imagery, woodsy ambience, stop-motion and a camera that continues to stare long after it’s become uncomfortable. Just because Saturnalia Temple don’t scream and blastbeat doesn’t mean the music isn’t extreme, and if you haven’t yet gotten hold of To the Other, the hypnotic march of “Black Sea of Power” might just offer sway.

Enjoy:

Saturnalia Temple, “Black Sea of Power” official video

Official video of Black Sea of Power by Saturnalia Temple from the album To The Other, 2015 (Listenable Records / The Ajna Offensive). All rights reserved by Saturnalia Temple.

Since its release, Saturnalia Temple’s critically acclaimed Aion of Drakon debut took the band to numerous major festivals throughout Europe, including Roadburn, Hell’s Pleasure, and Heavy Days in Doomtown, as well as on tours in both the U.S. and Europe. The strong occult and dark magical backbone is more prevalent than ever on To the Other, and as a band that actually started before the current “occult rock” trend, there are no fetishistic hoods, blood, or pentagrams. To The Other is instead a relentless journey through the downfall of the world and the rise of the individual striving against the grain.

As a title, To The Other signifies that it is a gift from the band to both the Other Side and to all that is in the shadows, the other side of existence, that which has been neglected by the everyday world of light. American drummer Tim Call (Alderbaran, Howling Wind, Nightfell) brings his experience and power to Saturnalia Temple on this recording. The cover art was created by Manuel Tinnemans (The Devil’s Blood, Deathspell Omega, Necros Christos). 

Saturnalia Temple on tour:
26.02 Groningen (NL) // Vera
27.02 Nijmegen (NL) // Merleyn
28.02 Paris (FRA) // Glazart
29.02 London (UK) //The Black Heart
01.03 Antwerp (BEL) // Trix
02.03 Berlin (DE) // Urban Spree
03.03 Kassel (DE) // Goldegrube
04.03 Hamburg (DE) //Bambi Galore
05.03 Oberhausen (DE) // Resonanzwerk

Saturnalia Temple website

Saturnalia Temple on Thee Facebooks

The Ajna Offensive

Rife with obscure, self-shot looking imagery that just finally holds still on a shot of someone walking off into a nameless forest void, yeah, you could say that the new video for the title-track of Saturnalia Temple‘s forthcoming To the Other LP fits the atmosphere the song creates. The track itself is a nine-minute march of bizarre and ritualized doom, not beat-you-over-the-head-with-riffs heavy, but with a grueling purpose to its echoing incantations all the same. To the Other is out Feb. 23 on Listenable in Europe and The Ajna Offensive in the US.

I haven’t heard the record yet, but it seems safe to presume this is a significant slice of it, Aldebaran drummer Tim Call stepping in to punctuate the morose proceedings in all their resonant, hypnotic, darkened vibing. Worth noting that the fire pit above — an accent worthy of adding to any outdoor experience — makes an appearance in full nighttime glory in the video’s midsection, but that it’s just part of the whole rite being portrayed on “To the Other,” the guttural call of its title line echoing even after the song’s finish. Whatever else you might listen to today, chances are nothing else will sound quite like it.

Video and PR wire info follow, for the curious:

Saturnalia Temple, “To the Other” official video

Official video of title track from Saturnalia Temple’s new album To The Other. Released in Europe by Listenable Records on February 23 and in USA by The Ajna Offensive.

Today, the enigmatic Saturnalia Temple premieres a new video for “To the Other.” The song is the title track for the band’s highly anticipated second album, To the Other, set for North American release on April 7th via The Ajna Offensive. Saturnalia Temple is black magic metal, a dark spiritual vortex rooted in heavy and hypnotic sounds, a pure voice of the Draconian magical tradition now further harnessed with To the Other. As a band that moves intently and without compromise, this recording and production was done in their own studio, Sitra Ahra, located in the forests outside Uppsala, Sweden. Witness their mesmerizing majesty in visual form exclusively HERE.

Since its release, Saturnalia Temple’s critically acclaimed Aion of Drakon debut took the band to numerous major festivals throughout Europe, including Roadburn, Hell’s Pleasure, and Heavy Days in Doomtown, as well as on tours in both the U.S. and Europe. The strong occult and dark magical backbone is more prevalent than ever on To the Other, and as a band that actually started before the current “occult rock” trend, there are no fetishistic hoods, blood, or pentagrams. To The Other is instead a relentless journey through the downfall of the world and the rise of the individual striving against the grain.

Saturnalia Temple on Thee Facebooks

The Ajna Offensive

Listenable Records

Swedish obscurist three-piece Saturnalia Temple have announced an April 7 North American release for their sophomore outing, To the Other. For those who heard their 2011 debut LP, Aion of Drakon, it’s likely a date worth marking on the calendar, the trio’s consuming aural darkness and wash of echoing tone set an atmosphere that went beyond cult rock and into a drearier facet of doom. I was fortunate enough to see them at Roadburn in 2012, and they conjured an immersive swirl even on stage, where one might expect a rawer presentation. Very cool band. They’ve toured in the US since then, and one imagines they’ll be back sooner or later in support of To the Other.

For now, the album release date, tracklisting, cover and detailed whatnots follow here, fresh off the PR wire:

SATURNALIA TEMPLE set release date for new AJNA OFFENSIVE album

Today, The Ajna Offensive sets April 7th as the North American release date for Saturnalia Temple’s highly anticipated second album, To the Other. Saturnalia Temple is black magic metal, a dark spiritual vortex rooted in heavy and hypnotic sounds, a pure voice of the Draconian magical tradition now further harnessed with To the Other. As a band that moves intently and without compromise, this recording and production was done in their own studio, Sitra Ahra, located in the forests outside Uppsala, Sweden.

Since its release, Saturnalia Temple’s critically acclaimed Aion of Drakon debut took the band to numerous major festivals throughout Europe, including Roadburn, Hell’s Pleasure, and Heavy Days in Doomtown, as well as on tours in both the U.S. and Europe. The strong occult and dark magical backbone is more prevalent than ever on To the Other, and as a band that actually started before the current “occult rock” trend, there are no fetishistic hoods, blood, or pentagrams. To The Other is instead a relentless journey through the downfall of the world and the rise of the individual striving against the grain.

As a title, To The Other signifies that it is a gift from the band to both the Other Side and to all that is in the shadows, the other side of existence, that which has been neglected by the everyday world of light. American drummer Tim Call (Alderbaran, Howling Wind, Nightfell) brings his experience and power to Saturnalia Temple on this recording. The cover art was created by Manuel Tinnemans (The Devil’s Blood, Deathspell Omega, Necros Christos). That cover, as well as tracklisting, are as follows:

Tracklisting for Saturnalia Temple’s To the Other
1. Intro
2. ZazelSorath
3. To The Other
4. Snow Of Reason
5. March Of Gha’agsheblah
6. Black Sea Of Power
7. CrownedWithSeven
8. Void

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/saturnaliatemple
www.theajnaoffensive.com
www.facebook.com/theajnaoffensive

Saturnalia Temple, “Aion of Drakon”