Description
The black metal assassin dagger cult SICARIUS – hailed by Metal Hammer as “USBM with serious forward thrust” – has released a third preview track from their forthcoming second album, “God of Dead Roots,” due via M-Theory Audio on March 13. As of today, the blistering nonconformist anthem “Pagan Vestige(s)” can be streamed on Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple Music and other digital platforms.
According to guitarist Grimnir, “Pagan Vestige(s)” is about “embracing and reviving a polytheistic viewpoint, or even a lack thereof. It is a denial of dogmatic practices, and a resuscitation of independent spiritual ritual, speaking toward the unwritten ceremonies buried by Christianity and other organized religions.”
Along with the recently released lyric videos/singles “A Practiced Hand” and “Bia,” “Pagan Vestige(s)” serves as a foreboding and forceful warning of what to expect from “God of Dead Roots,” which is currently available for pre-order on CD, digital and limited-edition moonless night black vinyl: www.smarturl.it/sicarius .
The album – produced by Mick Kenney (Anaal Nathrakh, Benediction, Empyrean Throne) – builds on the raw carnage displayed on the group's 2017 debut, “Serenade of Slitting Throats,” which was hailed by Decibel Magazine for “combining black metal with a violent immediacy and pairing it with a bloody, corpsepainted aesthetic.”
Notably, “God of Dead Roots” – which features cover artwork by Misanthropic Art (Behemoth, Pig Destroyer, Dismember, Hate Eternal) – marks SICARIUS' first release with guitarist Grimnir, who was handpicked by his predecessor Argyris. The group also features drummer “BZ”, who is also a member of eOne / Good Fight recording artists Enterprise Earth.
SICARIUS – whose moniker means contract killer or assassin in Latin – draw influence from and pay homage to classic black metal bands, yet the quintet also injects a modern, high-velocity sense of immediacy into their bloodthirsty extreme metal assault. The group was founded five years ago in Southern California, where they have since performed extensively alongside such genre heavyweights as Carach Angren, Master, Uada, 1349, Goatwhore, Vader, Helheim, Sadistic Intent, Skeletal Remains, Helsott, Wolvhammer, Sixes, Witch Casket and Tombs.
In 2017, the group signed with M-Theory Audio and released their acclaimed full-length debut “Serenade of Slitting Throats.” Since that album's release, SICARIUS has performed in the Western U.S. on a regular basis, winning praise for their visceral and intense live shows. 2019 saw SICARIUS re-team with Kenney to record “God Of Dead Roots,” which further explores what Invisible Oranges calls “a vision steeped in anger and aggression, a noxious brew of blackened thrash with a healthy pinch of genre-appropriate misanthropy to aid in fermentation.” The album's release will be celebrated with a May 19 performance alongside Swallow The Sun at Malone's in Santa Ana, California. Tickets are available at this location.
With a sound that that nods to Hellhammer and Bathory and an attitude inspired by the likes of The Misfits, Motorhead and Midnight, SICARIUS embody the dark danger that rages unabashed within the most memorable extreme metal. Listen at your own risk.
For more info:
www.facebook.com/SicariusBlackMetal
www.m-theoryaudio.com
