For all his commanding stature in the extreme metal scene, and the imperious nature of his presence, Kristian ‘Gaahl’ Espedal’s artistic temperament has always been a restless one. Willing to dissolve musical vehicles and start afresh, rewrite the rules of black metal as he did with Trelldom or venture beyond its boundaries with his last project, God Seed, you can sense that Gaahl's compass is an internal one, resistant to strict genre definitions.
None of this, however, will offer much in the way of preparation for GastiR – Ghosts Invited, the forthcoming debut album from his latest project, Gaahls Wyrd. Although still steeped in metal’s rich lineage, it’s an album that roves far from anything you could consider black metal, accentuating the progressive tendencies that first saw the light of day in God Seed’s I Begin, finding resonance in the 80s gothicism of Bauhaus and David Bowie, but above all, affirming Gaahl’s remarkable vocal range, and the host of entities and energies he’s able to channel.
Thanks to Season Of Mist Records and the band themselves, we are honoured to host an exclusive premiere of a striking video for the track Carving The Voices – both a centre point for the album and a captivating example of Gaahl’s versatility. From sonorous croon to coruscating roar to questing cleans with an emotionally potent edge, Gaahl’s vocals are a torch leading you through a knife-edge journey whose various moods reveal a mastery of tension and deliverance. Its rite of passage is accompanied by glacial, cinematic images courtesy of video director Troll Toftenes, treating nature as a harbourer of mystery (and antlered men), and portal to realms beyond the senses.
So without further ado, prepare to step across the threshold and enter the transformative world of Carving The Voices below!
GastiR – Ghosts Invited is released on May 31 via Season Of Mist
Pre-order the album here
And visit the Gaahls Wyrd Facebook page here!
