Prepare yourselves, mortals––as 1349 unleashes “Inferior Pathways,” the latest onslaught from their forthcoming album, The Wolf and The King. This infernal hymn channels the quintessence of 1349: unrelenting, blast-heavy, and furious. “Inferior Pathways” is a seething maelstrom of chaos and carnage, and it’s the perfect example of why 1349 are the ultimate masters of black metal.
Wreak havoc with the virulent guitars and manifold blasts of this third single that ties an iron spine of classic headbanging riffs to an inexorable groove – a flawless execution of raw, blackened power. 1349 continues to stretch the boundaries of the genre, infusing their relentless blast beats and searing guitars with an atmosphere of apocalyptic elegance.
Recorded at Amper Tone in Oslo, Norway, and New Constellation R.M.P. in Orlando, Florida, The Wolf and The King was produced and mixed by Ravn and Jarrett Pritchard (EULOGY, PULCHRA MORTE). The album promises a tempestuous journey through eight tracks of pure, unadulterated black metal, from the voracious onslaught of the previously release single “The God Devourer” to the sinister depths of “Shadow Point.”
1349 is not like other bands. It’s not a group of friends who decided to make music together. 1349 is a band formed with a unified vision and specific purpose: To maintain the legacy of black metal.
“I didn’t like the direction that black metal took in the mid part of the ’90s,” 1349 vocalist and mastermind Ravn recalls. “It started losing everything that I liked about black metal—the grimness, the eeriness, the primal emotions that captivated me and brought me into that sphere. You had all these synthesizer-based bands dressing up in pirate shirts and looking like goths. It ruined something that I truly hold close to my heart.”
In 1997, Ravn formed 1349 and recruited bassist Seidemann and, now former, guitarist Tjalve to help him pursue the vision of recapturing the original spirit of black metal. The longstanding lineup of Ravn, Seidemann, guitarist Archaon, and drummer Frost (also of SATYRICON) has been in place since 2001.
“I found people that felt the same way as me,” Ravn says of his bandmates. “We wanted to bring back the trademark of Norwegian black metal, as it was presented in the early 90s. Every time we release an album, that’s the inspiration and the backdrop.”
Reeder, the visionary behind Metal Addicts, has transformed his lifelong passion for metal into a thriving online community for metal aficionados. As a fervent devotee of black metal, Reeder is captivated by its dark, atmospheric, and often unorthodox soundscapes.