With mere days to go until the release of their sophomore album, Ydos, Lithuanian force BLACK SPIKES releases another single. "DULKĖS" — Lithuanian for "dust" — is Ydos' mystical album closer. Versatile, yet grasping, the five-piece breakout band solidifies its upward trajectory with this powerful track. Initially driven by slow modern drum sounds and singer Agni's captivating whispers, "DULKĖS" quickly explodes into a thrilling headbanging invitation.
Always keeping up the exceptional balance between sensitivity and heaviness, the song wraps up BLACK SPIKES' bleak exploration of humankind's relationship with its vices. Ydos is a creative twist on modern metal, a progressive sweeping blow reaching out with fierce claws, never to let you go.
The album releases this Friday.
BLACK SPIKES about "DULKĖS":
"The final song of Ydos, 'DULKĖS,' closes the whole fairytale by returning everything to dust. It is about the shortness of human life and what remains after we are gone. Our bodies disappear, the past fades, and the future belongs to others. But dust also carries the possibility of new life, reminding us that everything ends only to begin again."
Watch the Official Music Video for "DULKĖS" Below:
Emerging from the shadows are BLACK SPIKES, bringing the darkness right along with them on their new album, Ydos, out August 28. The Lithuanian breakout band's first release with Napalm Records, coming shortly after their nomination at their home country's Grammy-comparable M.A.M.A. Music Awards, deals with the eponymous flaws of humanity, conceptually interwoven with modern progressive metal, serving as a complex mirror for us all.
The depth of its concept is reflected in every note of Ydos, from every heavy riff to every proggy twist. Leaning into electronic music while holding on firmly to their metal roots, the Lithuanian band creates a distinctive sound, alluringly dark and captivatingly heavy. BLACK SPIKES venture into gloominess, filling the void with spine-tingling philosophical thoughts and posing as Janus-faced companions on a fateful journey into the self in which every step should be taken with caution because a trap just might snap...
BLACK SPIKES about Ydos:
"Ydos is a conceptual album — a dark fairytale about human vices. The idea was there from the very beginning and guided the entire songwriting process. Each vice has its own name and story, and many songs will be brought to life through music videos where these vices take shape. It was our first time creating a conceptual album, and we really enjoyed starting with an idea and expressing it through music."
Get Your Copy Of Ydos NOW!
Initiating the story of Ydos is the eerie "PASAKA" (engl. fairy tale), an intro setting the mood with menacing ticking sounds growing into orchestrals and singer Agni's high vocals layered with screams. A calming lullaby exploding into growls, thunderous blast beats, and elaborate guitar riffs, "MOTINA" (engl. mother) describes the birth of humankind's vices and therefore serves as an exposition for the storytelling aspect. Throughout the ten songs of their second album, BLACK SPIKES explore the relationships with flaws we all carry within, devoting a song to each of them. "MELAS" (engl. lie) introduces trap beats and rap to the mix, all with an approach clearly rooted in modern metal with sophisticated progressive elements. "MARA," investigating excessive curiosity, beautifully contrasts calmness and calamity, with the quintet allowing their different elements to breathe while still entwisting them persuasively. Following, "ZELVAR," which features the album's only English lyrics, and "REVANA" add endearing, highly recognizable riffs to Ydos, further opening the gates to the hauntingly beautiful realms BLACK SPIKES are unfolding as they delve into greed and revenge, respectively, the concepts personified in the form of demons. The raw rage evolves into carefully structured "APATIJA" (engl. apathy), whose futuristic intermezzi make for especially interesting headbanging rhythms throughout which Agni’s voice acts as a gentle guide. "AUREA" continues BLACK SPIKES' cinematic approach in its depiction of pride, unleashing a storm of rapacious riffs and galloping drums, frequently broken up by halcyon parts, their cleverly placed tranquility conveying comfort in seemingly hopeless hazes. With pressing "SENAS DEMONAS" (engl. old demon), BLACK SPIKES free yet another hellish entity, before "DULKĖS" (engl. dust) picks up on the melodized cinematography, wrapping up this bleak exploration of what it means to be human.
BLACK SPIKES ARE:
Agni — Vocals
Yaga — Guitar, Electronic elements
Mazvis — Guitar
Sime — Bass Guitar
Titas — Drums
