Via Doloris Release Luminous New Single “Un Franc Soleil”

February 23, 2026

Via Doloris is rooted in an inward journey rather than orthodoxy. Conceived in solitude and shaped by discipline, composer and multi-instrumentalist Gildas Le Pape (ex-Satyricon) traces a melodic, atmospheric and introspective path through black metal’s foundations on upcoming debut album Guerre et Paix. He’s joined by Frost, the legendary drummer of Satyricon and 1349, who provides a sense of persistence, grounded and unyielding.

Today, Via Doloris are releasing the second advanced single from Guerre et Paix. Standing among the album’s most luminous moments, “Un Franc Soleil” captures a fleeting sensation of release after prolonged inner unrest. An atmospheric depiction of an illusion glimpsed from afar, the song evokes the distant promise of a life freed from struggle, a vision radiant yet never fully attained.

Listen to “Un Franc Soleil” below.

Guerre et Paix comes out March 20 on Season of Mist.

Pre-order & Pre-save

https://orcd.co/viadolorisguerreetpaix

“Un Franc Soleil” captures Via Doloris at their most expansive and textural. The song unfolds in measured restraint; layered guitars trace gentle melodic figures across a patient rhythmic foundation. Frost’s nuanced drumming anchors the gradual ascent of each chord progression, allowing melody to emerge from distortion and clarity from dissonance. Written in French, the lyrics carry vulnerability and resolve in equal measure, portraying serenity not as certainty, but as something only ever approached.

Within the broader architecture of Guerre et Paix, “Un Franc Soleil” functions as a threshold: a contemplative pause before the album returns to denser and more conflicted terrain.

Based in Oslo, Gildas Le Pape first gained attention in 2007 when he joined the legendary Satyricon as a guitarist. Over the next six years, he toured the world and contributed to the band’s recorded legacy, before stepping away to explore a broad range of musical directions. In time, this path led him back to extreme music, this time with a renewed creative vision and sharpened intent. In 2023, he invited his long-time collaborator, Frost — arguably one of the most accomplished drummers in the genre — to join him in bringing the debut release to life.

Line-up:

Gildas le Pape — Lead Vocals, Choirs, Guitars, Bass

Frost — Session Drums

Production Credits:

Drums and vocals recorded at Red Room Studios, Norway.
Drums and vocals engineered by Mattis Elvestuen, guitars engineered by Gildas Le Pape & Mattis Elvestuen.

Produced by Gildas le Pape.

Mixed by Nicolai Codling & Gildas le Pape.

Mastered by Magnus Gulbrandsen at Jeløy Sound Mastering.

Guest Artist:
Raido (Ferriterium, Heimsgard, Karne) — Guest Vocals on Track 3.

Cover Art:

Artwork by Gildas le Pape.

Photography:

Cover artwork & press photography by Linnea Syversen.

Available Formats:

CD Digipak

12” Vinyl Gatefold — Black

12” Coloured Vinyl Gatefold — White

Pre-order & Pre-save

https://orcd.co/viadolorisguerreetpaix

Follow Via Doloris:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/viadolorisofficial/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/via.doloris/

Bandcamp: https://viadoloris.bandcamp.com/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2R3PxQ7zeA3BpPhpI1JlxF

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/artist/via-doloris/1862267909

Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/artist/362455292

Via Doloris Announces Debut Album Guerre et Paix

January 21, 2026

Via Doloris is rooted in an inward journey rather than orthodoxy. Conceived in solitude and shaped by discipline, composer and multi-instrumentalist Gildas Le Pape traces a restrained and introspective path through black metal’s formal foundations, guided by melody, atmosphere and emotional clarity. He’s joined by Frost, the legendary drummer of Satyricon and 1349, who provides a sense of persistence, grounded and unyielding.

Today, Via Doloris is announcing its debut album Guerre et Paix. Positioned at the heart of the album, lead single “For the Glory” traces a slow ascent from an inner collapse to a fragile sense of self-awareness, capturing a core tension between endurance and surrender.

Watch the video for “For The Glory” Below;

Guerre et Paix comes out March 20 on Season of Mist.

Pre-order & Pre-save

https://orcd.co/viadolorisguerreetpaix

“For The Glory” reflects the inward struggle that defines Guerre et Paix. The song is a confrontation with suffering that offers no clear resolution. Harmony remains intentionally unresolved, suggesting that meaning is found not in triumph, but in the act of enduring itself. This encapsulates Via Doloris’ approach to black metal: severe and disciplined in form yet fundamentally cathartic. Atmosphere, emotional release and inner clarity outweigh spectacle or excess.

Via Doloris is the vision of founder Gildas Le Pape. Through sound, he crafts a world where emotion, discipline, and atmosphere converge — a place to give shape to what cannot be spoken. Rooted in solitude and shaped by the interplay of darkness and beauty, the project confronts the gravity of existence: the quiet burdens we carry, the hidden wounds time buries deep, the road to death. This “Way of Suffering” unfolds as a passage through pain in search of meaning, and the distant, flickering promise of rebirth.

Line-up:

Gildas le Pape — Lead Vocals, Choirs, Guitars, Bass

Frost — Session Drums

Production Credits:

Drums and vocals recorded at Red Room Studios, Norway.
Drums and vocals engineered by Mattis Elvestuen, guitars engineered by Gildas Le Pape & Mattis Elvestuen.

Produced by Gildas le Pape.

Mixed by Nicolai Codling & Gildas le Pape.

Mastered by Magnus Gulbrandsen at Jeløy Sound Mastering.

Guest Artist:
Raido (Ferriterium, Heimsgard, Karne) — Guest Vocals on Track 3.

Cover Art:

Artwork by Gildas le Pape.

Photography:

Cover artwork & press photography by Linnea Syversen.

Follow Via Doloris:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/viadolorisofficial/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/via.doloris/

Season of Mist Signs Via Doloris

January 15, 2026

Season of Mist is proud to announce the signing of Via Doloris, the singular project of composer and multi-instrumentalist Gildas Le Pape. Conceived in solitude and shaped by discipline, Via Doloris traces a restrained and introspective path through black metal’s formal foundations, guided by melody, atmosphere and emotional clarity.

Via Doloris is rooted in an inward journey rather than orthodoxy. Across carefully structured compositions, Le Pape explores the architecture of the human psyche, moving through despair, inner rupture and fleeting moments of illumination. Melody stands at the center of the music, not as ornament but as its organizing force, leading expansive guitar lines through measured rhythms and subtle harmonic tension. Folk and pagan echoes surface quietly, lending the material a timeless, almost ritual quality without overt gestures or excess.

“I’m hugely excited by the signing with Season of Mist”, says le Pape. “Partnering with a label known for its professionalism and deep industry experience is a huge step forward for Via Doloris. With their support, VD will reach a much wider audience and gain the visibility I feel the project deserves. This is a major milestone in the project’s history, and I can’t wait to share what I've been crafting during the last years. Thanks to the team and everyone who has supported VD so far – this is just the beginning!”

The project’s first full-length work extends this vision into a unified and deliberately paced statement. Moving between languages and emotional registers, it traces a quiet passage through shadow and emergence, shaped by introspection rather than narrative clarity. Crafted in Norway under Le Pape’s sole direction, the material favors tension, texture and inner motion, allowing meaning to surface gradually, without resolution or insistence.

Follow Via Doloris

https://www.facebook.com/viadolorisofficial/

https://www.instagram.com/via.doloris/

Via Doloris’ musical identity draws from the towering legacy of Nordic metal while forging a distinct path. At its core lies a commitment to detailed guitar work, high-level musicianship, and the art of songcraft. Rather than follow genre trends, Via Doloris returns melody to its rightful place: not as decoration, but as the driving force of the music. These strong, expressive lines guide the compositions with raw clarity, carving out a language that speaks directly to the listener's inner world.

Though the instrumentation nods to black metal’s formal foundations, the project resists confinement. It blends harmonic depth with subtle dissonance, creating tension and richness without sacrificing cohesion. Folk and pagan influences run like ancestral threads through the arrangements, lending them a sacral, mythic quality. The result is a sound built on contrasts: luminous and shadowed, forceful yet introspective, epic yet intimate. Layered into this sonic landscape are lyrics written in French, English, and Norwegian. Each language brings its own weight, rhythm, and tone, unlocking emotional registers that feel both ancient and immediate.