THE BEAST

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DREAD WITCH Unleash “Altar” Official Video Featuring Sofia Schmidt as CULT Vinyl Sells Out in Under 24 Hours

Danish Doom Metal Force DREAD WITCH Prepare to Unleash Their Second Full-Length Album October 31, With Exclusive International CD Distribution Through iMusic

Danish doom metal outfit DREAD WITCH have released the official music video for “Altar,” featuring Sofia Schmidt of Ethereal Kingdoms , offering another glimpse into the dark, cinematic world of their upcoming second full-length album, CULT , arriving October 31, 2026, through DHU Records, Bottomless Pit, and Gateway Music.

The anticipation surrounding CULT is already building. The album's vinyl edition sold out in less than 24 hours on the DHU Records website, demonstrating the demand for the band's uncompromising brand of dark, crushing doom metal. For fans looking to secure the CD edition, DREAD WITCH have also announced an exclusive deal with iMusic, which ships internationally. Outside of purchasing directly at the band's live shows, iMusic is the only place to obtain the CULT CD.

Order the CULT CD internationally through iMusic:
https://imusic.dk/music/5707471122686/dread-witch-2026-cult-cd

Watch the official video for “Altar” featuring Sofia Schmidt:

Featuring Schmidt in the role of the Dread Witch herself, “Altar” combines crushing doom metal, sinister atmosphere, and ritualistic intensity. Her guest performance adds another dimension to the track, delivering a performance that is both technically commanding and deeply unsettling.

Formed in Denmark in 2023 by former members of Scamp, Horned Almighty, Stone Cadaver, and The World State, DREAD WITCH emerged with a mission to create exceedingly heavy and dark doom metal inspired by horror literature, cult cinema, and the atmospheric experimentation of artists such as Pink Floyd and Triptykon.

With CULT , the band pushes that vision further into the abyss.

Spanning 36 minutes, the album unfolds like a horror film translated into sound. Colossal riffs, crushing percussion, ritualistic vocals, psychedelic textures, and oppressive atmospheres combine to create a bleak sonic landscape populated by serpents, witches, human sacrifices, and unspeakable horrors.

The album opens with “Born Again,” an unsettling instrumental in which the cries of a bawling infant collide with dissonant guitars, establishing the record's disturbing atmosphere from the outset. The title track, “Cult,” drives deeper into the darkness with bone-shattering riffs and sinister psychedelic textures, while “The Summoning” builds from occult chanting and eerie atmospheric passages into a crushing, groove-heavy finale.

“Cyclops” delivers the album's most direct and aggressive assault, unleashing a barrage of riffs built for serious headbanging. “Altar,” featuring Schmidt's commanding guest performance, offers a different shade of darkness before “Marrow” shifts gears with up-tempo death metal phrasing, staccato riffs, and the unexpected addition of a didgeridoo.

Instrumental “Vesexuff” serves as an ominous prelude to the monumental eight-minute closing track, “Omen of Oblivion,” bringing the journey to its final, devastating conclusion.

At the heart of CULT is an enormous wall of sound constructed from three low-tuned guitars, distorted bass, punishing drums, ritualistic vocals, and ambient textures. Despite its sheer weight, the album maintains a sense of dynamics and detail, allowing its darker atmospheric elements to breathe between moments of overwhelming heaviness.

The album was recorded at Antfarm Studios, with legendary Danish producer Tue Madsen , known for his work with Meshuggah, Belphegor, Baest, Moonspell, and The Haunted , handling production, mixing, and mastering. His extensive experience working with some of the most formidable names in heavy music makes him a fitting collaborator for DREAD WITCH's uncompromising sonic vision.

Artwork was created by Deliriavision, with layout by Andreas Cadaver.

DREAD WITCH previously established their reputation with their 2023 debut album, Tower of the Severed Serpent . Deathrattle Podcast praised the record for its “riffs of gravitational force and neutronium density,” while RockHard Italy described the band's sound as one that “capture [s] the listener in a magnetic whirlpool that is difficult to escape.”

With CULT , DREAD WITCH expand upon that foundation, delivering a darker, heavier, and more immersive statement that pushes their sound further into cinematic horror and crushing doom.

The vinyl is already gone. The darkness is just beginning.

No generative AI was used in the making of CULT .

DREAD WITCH - CULT

Release Date: October 31, 2026
Labels: DHU Records / Bottomless Pit / Gateway Music
Formats: Digital / CD / LP
Genre: Doom Metal / Death Metal
For Fans Of: Conan, Triptykon, Devin Townsend

Band Lineup

Mikael Rise - Lead Vocals & Guitar
Dennis Larsen - Drums
Andreas Cadaver - Guitar
Leifur Nielsen - Bass & Vocals
Jesper Kragh - Lead Guitar

Album Credits

Recorded at Antfarm Studios
Produced, Mixed & Mastered by Tue Madsen
Artwork by Deliriavision
Layout by Andreas Cadaver
Music & Lyrics by Andreas Cadaver

Discography

Tower of the Severed Serpent (2023)
CULT (2026)

Official Links

Order the CULT CD through iMusic:
https://imusic.dk/music/5707471122686/dread-witch-2026-cult-cd

Official Band Links, EPK, Logos & Promotional Materials:
https://linktr.ee/dreadwitch

DREAD WITCH's CULT arrives October 31, 2026. Enter the darkness. Join the cult.