Metal is all about going over the top. That includes the music itself, going further than any other type of music to reflect power, drama and destruction. But some bands take it even further with their image and attitude toward their creation. Canada’s Astaroth Incarnate stands ready to take this to its fantastical extreme on their new song, “I An Fire / I Am Death (Alpha).”
Once the music kicks in, the band’s influences are readily apparent: Death Cult Armageddon-era Dimmu Borgir, Hecate Enthroned, Old Man’s Child, and perhaps a bit of Limbonic Art as well. But vocalist Astaroth knows how to blend in some low death growls as well. (The band’s previous work had some slam-death and death-core elements mixed in.)
It’s grand, it’s ornate, it’s a bit ridiculous. But that’s what makes it so great! After all, if you’re going to put on make-up that makes you look like Darth Maul, you better be ready to keep us entertained!
The band had this to say about the song:
The inception of Apocalyptic Metal; spawn a new direction of song writing without constricting through a genre but instead realizing why and how should we write it. This led us to create an 11-minute epic that reflects everything we represent as a band. “I Am Fire / I Am Death (Alpha)” is about life and death being intertwined in a never-ending cycle and the song itself is split into two parts to reflect this character. We present to you the first glimpse into the madness in the form of “I Am Fire / I Am Death (Alpha).”
On December 6, the band will release a new EP called Ascendance, which will include the rest of the 11-minute composition. Here’s to a bright future for unapologetic, apocalyptic metal!