Hermitage out this Friday via Napalm Records | Pre-Order HERE
"What an amazing album, from the nicest guys we’ve ever toured with! I fu**ing love this album, absolutely. Classic MOONSPELL with a slight new flavor to it, it’s perfect."
DANI FILTH, CRADLE OF FILTH
"We’re very honored that a cool band like MOONSPELL covered one of our songs. "Darkness in Paradise" is an unexpected choice, a bit of a forgotten gem, so it’s a nice surprise to hear this. They did a fine job with it, too!"
LEIF EDLING, CANDLEMASS
"MOONSPELL's best record to date!"
NEW NOISE MAGAZINE, US
"The quintet have been flirting with the progressive dynamics of light and shade and harmony and dissonance for many years, but Hermitage ramps up the Capitol-P-Prog, nailing it with Aplomp!"
METAL HAMMER, UK
"A masterclass in songwriting and composition. Hermitage is an open invitation to find beauty in simplicity, while taking the listeners on a journey through humanity’s heart of darkness."
TUONELA MAGAZINE, FIN
"A pure marvel of finesse and atmosphere!"
METALLIAN, FR
"Hermitage sounds like how MOONSPELL wants to sound after almost 30 years of their career. Passionated and gloomy, full of strong and epic dark metal songs!"
METAL HAMMER, GER
This Friday, February 26 will see Portuguese dark metal godfathers MOONSPELL unleash their highly acclaimed 13th studio album, Hermitage, via Napalm Records.
With Hermitage, MOONSPELL is not only approaching their 30th band anniversary more ambitiously and stronger than ever, but they take us on an entertaining and emotional ride through the darkest days of human existence. MOONSPELL’s forthcoming record is a wonderfully intuitive, yet epic masterpiece, and a testament to what the band has always loved the most: Honest metal that binds us even in these dark times.
Building upon its dark, revolutionary and sensitive facets, MOONSPELL’s new album is also epic as hell! Inspired by their metal roots and underground metal bands like Bathory, the final single to surface before Hermitage drops, “The Hermit Saints”, takes us on an epic trip to the heights of the world and the lows of the abysses. Accented by melodic groove and bombastic choruses, this track is sure to become a fan favorite!
“'The Hermit Saints' unveils even further secrets about our forthcoming album: Hermitage,” says vocalist Fernando Ribeiro about the track. “Make no mistake: this is a METAL song played according to MOONSPELL's own signature and rules.
This song tells you about the holiness and unholiness of men, about the duality between saints and sinners. It tells of the fever that makes us cross into the desert of our own existences, perpetually looking out for the cure, that will never come until we change our ways.
Many might go. Few will come back. Lock the gates, behold 'The Hermit Saints'!”
Pre-order the new full-length, Hermitage, NOW!
Hermitage was recorded, mixed and mastered this past summer by Jaime Gomez Arellano (Paradise Lost, Primordial, Ghost, Sólstafir and many more) at the Orgone Studios in the UK. The haunting cover artwork was created by Latvian artist Arthur Berzinsh.
“We know that we are entering the final years of our career as musicians: the winter of our lifetime,” vocalist Fernando Ribeiro recently stated. “We don’t care about people saying we’re still young at heart, or “leading” wolves in a pack. We are not! But we do care about how those around us feel about us, and this album is all about how we feel, our answers to your questions.
Under these circumstances, we feel our musical stakes are higher than ever. For us, it’s not about likes or algorithms, reach, or opportunity of growth. We only care about the music. Music does come first on this album you will hold in your hands soon enough.”
He continues: “The record is about turning our backs to the conventions of modernity. We are currently convincing ourselves that it’s all about us, that we (humanity) are everything. That the world revolves around us. However, ipsi facto, we are nothing and nothing revolves around us. MOONSPELL's goal, on these last turns around the Sun, is to write the best music we possibly can. To tell you a few stories with our lyrics, to be close to you in these times of distancing. We wish not to tease you or to influence you or to sell you our fish. We want to sit down with you at your table and feast together upon our notes and words. Like if we were close friends, like back in the time where music matters the most. In your bedroom listening to music, without having to post our smart remarks about it, inviting the hate in.
Hermitage is an open-hearted invitation to simplicity. To be humble. To be thankful. To serve you solace. Provide you comfort, entertainment. We sincerely hope this call reaches you. That you kindly accept what we offer. That you take our music with you to the place you must feel as yours. To your secret place, to your hermitage. Blessed be.”
Hermitage will be available in several highly limited and collectible LP editions, Mediabook and Cassette formats - all including the Candlemass cover "Darkness in Paradise" - in addition to Jewelcase and Digital formats. The Deluxe Box sold out fast - be quick and purchase Hermitage now while formats last!
MOONSPELL is:
Fernando Ribeiro – Vocals
Ricardo Amorim – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Pedro Paixão – Keys, Guitar
Aires Pereira – Bass
Hugo Ribeiro – Drums