SMOULDER Unleash B-Movie Mayhem With âShadow of the Vultureâ
Epic blackened metallers SMOULDER have unleashed a brand-new music video for âShadow of the Vulture,â giving fans a gloriously trashy, sword-and-sorcery-inspired visual preview of their...
More
SMOULDER Unleash B-Movie Mayhem With âShadow of the Vultureâ
Epic blackened metallers SMOULDER have unleashed a brand-new music video for âShadow of the Vulture,â giving fans a gloriously trashy, sword-and-sorcery-inspired visual preview of their forthcoming third studio album, Witch Wife in an Alien World.
If you like your heavy metal with massive riffs, ancient warriors, dark forests, questionable amounts of fake blood, and the unmistakable charm of a low-budget fantasy flick, Smoulder have you covered.
âShadow of the Vultureâ is the second track from Witch Wife in an Alien World, arriving through Cruz del Sur Music this fall. The new video embraces the band's love of classic sword-and-sorcery cinema and old-school heavy metal videos, deliberately choosing fun, atmosphere, and raw DIY energy over slick modern production.
According to vocalist Sarah Ann, the concept was built as a tribute to some of the band's favorite cult films.
âWe wanted to pay homage to our favourite sword and sorcery movies, and make a B-movie, DIY music video that was big and fun and trashy!â
Among the inspirations were Sorceress (1982), Deathstalker, The Devil's Sword (1983), and Conquest (1983), alongside classic heavy metal video insanity such as Cloven Hoof's âHighlanderâ and Hell's âDeath Squad.â
The band teamed up with Helsinki-based multidisciplinary artist Tekla Tekla VĂ ly, whose work has included music videos, photography, and cover art for artists including Warning, Oranssi Pazuzu, Hail Conjurer, and 40 Watt Sun.
The result fits Smoulder's aesthetic like a battered leather gauntlet. There's an intentionally homemade quality to the video that feels completely at home with the band's old-school metal influences. And yes, apparently a severed head was involved.
As Sarah Ann puts it:
âShe did a great job capturing that energy... plus, her severed head made us howl!â
A New Chapter for Smoulder
âShadow of the Vultureâ offers another glimpse into what makes Witch Wife in an Alien World such an intriguing next step for Smoulder.
The Canadian/American quintet has never been particularly interested in staying inside one musical box. The band's previous work established a formidable blend of epic heavy metal, power metal, speed metal and doom, but the new album pushes further into darker territory by incorporating black metal into the band's already expansive sound.
The result is being described as raw, ferocious, and intentionally unpolished.
And while âShadow of the Vultureâ delivers the kind of classic heavy metal chorus designed to be screamed back from a packed venue, Witch Wife in an Alien World promises considerably more than another collection of straightforward metal anthems.
The album features eight tracks that move between triumphant heavy metal, epic doom, blackened passages, sweeping melodies, and more adventurous territory.
The album opens with âWater Wars,â followed by âShadow of the Vulture,â while songs such as âCathedral of the Treesâ and âSmouldering Remainsâ explore the band's grander and more atmospheric side.
One of the album's most fascinating tracks is âNoitien Loitsu,â the band's first song featuring both English and Finnish lyrics.
The song draws directly from Sarah Ann's Finnish roots and the environment surrounding her and guitarist Shon Vincent's home in Helsinki. Finnish epic black metal musician Bootleg Henkka of Havukruunu also contributes a guest guitar solo.
That cultural connection runs deep throughout the album.
The title Witch Wife in an Alien World itself was inspired by Sarah Ann's life in Finland and the contrast between the positive aspects of her surroundings and her frustration with the increasingly hostile world outside of them.
That tension feeds directly into the album's themes, which deal with disconnection, political and social realities, and the strange contradiction of living in a world that has never been more technologically connected while feeling increasingly divided.
From Michael Whelan to Ian Miller
Smoulder's visual world is getting a major transformation as well.
The cover of Witch Wife in an Alien World was created by legendary British fantasy and horror illustrator Ian Miller, whose extensive body of work includes fantasy, horror, Warhammer, Magic: The Gathering, H.P. Lovecraft publications, and the animated cult classic Wizards from Ralph Bakshi.
Miller's artwork represents a noticeable shift from the band's previous two albums, Times of Obscene Evil and Wild Daring and Violent Creed of Vengeance, both of which featured artwork from legendary fantasy artist Michael Whelan.
Where those previous covers carried the unmistakable grandeur of classic fantasy illustration, the new artwork reflects the darker, uglier themes explored throughout Witch Wife in an Alien World.
And that's fitting because Smoulder aren't simply repeating what they've done before.
They're pushing outward.
Built for the Stage
Following the release of the new album, Smoulder's attention will turn toward the live arena, where the band has assembled a lineup increasingly influenced by black and death metal.
The current configuration includes guitarist Nigge of black/thrash outfit Terror Cross, alongside the band's core lineup of Sarah Ann, Collin Wolf, Shon Vincent, Adam Blake, and Kevin Hester.
That heavier influence is expected to make itself felt onstage.
For Smoulder, the live experience has become a major priority.
âHaving a crushing live show has become priority number one for us,â Sarah Ann explains, noting that bands can choose different approaches when building their stage presentation.
For Smoulder, the goal is atmosphere.
Not costumes for the sake of costumes. Not an arena full of unnecessary props. Instead, the band wants to create something lurid, dark, atmospheric, and immersive.
Basically, heavy metal the old-fashioned way.
Loud. Strange. Epic. A little dangerous.
And preferably with some swords lying around somewhere.
Smoulder Hit the Road
Fans in Europe will have several opportunities to catch Smoulder live throughout the coming months.
The band will appear at Swamp Fest 2026 in Berlin on September 12, followed by Old Grave Fest 13 in Bucharest, Romania, on October 10.
November brings appearances at Little Devil in Tilburg, Netherlands, on November 26, MTS Records in Oldenburg, Germany, on November 27, and Metal Hammer Paradise in WeissenhÀuser Strand, Germany, on November 28.
With a new album bringing black metal influences into Smoulder's epic heavy metal foundation and a live lineup geared toward delivering something heavier and more crushing, the band appears ready to enter its next chapter with both fists raised.
Witch Wife in an Alien World will be released through Cruz del Sur Music in Europe on October 9 and North America on November 6. The album will be available on CD, digital formats, and vinyl LP, including an edition featuring a foiled cover, 12-page booklet, poster, and download code.
But before the full record arrives, Smoulder have given us âShadow of the Vulture.â
It's a song built for headbanging, a video built for fans of gloriously cheesy sword-and-sorcery cinema, and another reminder that heavy metal doesn't always need to take itself so damn seriously.
Sometimes you just need a killer riff, a questionable costume, a severed head, and a good old-fashioned B-movie adventure.
Watch the âShadow of the Vultureâ video:[jrEmbed module="jrYouTube" youtube_id="Kq-xw6v7hSM"]
Pre-order the album:CD: https://tinyurl.com/4f9crkaeBlack Vinyl LP: https://tinyurl.com/ys429aswLimited Vinyl LP: https://tinyurl.com/2ty3v2rv
More from Smoulder:https://smoulder.bandcamp.comhttps://linktr.ee/SmoulderDoom
Label: Cruz del Sur Musichttps://cruzdelsurmusic.com/store
Less
