Grey pro-cassette. Includes download code and digital booklet. Bonus tracks included. Limited to 25 copies.
After two EPs, one compilation and one live album, Italian epic black metal masters VOLAND are back with their new chapter, named "Voland III: Царепоклонство - Il culto degli Zar".
Musically the EP is the evolution of the sound of the band, the union of extreme metal aggression and orchestral symphony.
VOLAND has experimented further with the fusion of different elements, fast tempos and doom riffing, harsh vocals and harmonious choirs, dark atmospheres and epic openings.
The result is a varied work, firmly anchored to the metal world, yet free of expression with many influences, mirroring the progress in the sound of the band.
The lyrical theme of "Voland III: Царепоклонство - Il culto degli Zar" is centred on events of Russian history, separated in time and very different from one another, yet presenting some common features.
The Cult of the Tsars refers to the phenomenon of religious adoration surrounding the Russian emperors, to the point of sanctification in some cases. This is explained in the function of the Russian monarch, his role was not only that of protector of the empire and its people, but of the Orthodox faith as well, placing the political figure of the Tsar near the sacred sphere of religion.
The title of the album is to be understood in this sense and also with irony: the episodes selected by VOLAND talk about emperors who were loved and respected by some, but hated and opposed by others, with acts of rebellion, revolution and even regicide.
This double reading of historical phenomena has allowed the band to identify with multiple points of view, exploring atmospheres and feelings that are often opposed and very different.
For fans of: Dark Lunacy, Stormlord, Bal-Sagoth, Tartaros.