The Swiss underground metal scene is one of the genre’s burgeoning hotspots, and perhaps its most thrilling prospect are Vevey-based bruisers Herod. Now poised to unleash their second album, out tomorrow through Pelagic Records, the band are set to enrapture the global scene with a fresh take on extreme metal that’s multi-faceted and yet remarkably cohesive in its unforgiving assault. Amongst hefty sludge there’s shades of everything from Meshuggah‘s precise brutality and Gojira‘s bludgeoning-but-complex grooves to the artful melodies of Tesseract. We’re thrilled to offer the chance to hear this imposing slab of brilliance from a burgeoning talent ahead of its official release tomorrow – scroll down to hear it in its entirety.
Sombre Dessein was recorded and mixed by Swiss audiophile Julien Fehlman and mastered by Magnus Lindberg of Cult Of Luna. In addition, it’s bolstered by guest appearances from Carcass‘ Bill Steer and Loic Rossetti of The Ocean, with whom the band will be touring this Spring. Off the back of 2014’s They Were None, the band shared stages with the likes of Gojira, Crowbar, The Ocean, Carcass, Obituary, Napalm Death and Voivod, and Sombre Dessein is sure to be a launchpad that sees them take that bold step into the metal scene’s collective conscious.
Speaking of the album, the band says, “Herod would like to heavily express our gratitude to Mr Julien Fehlmann – producer of the album, who managed to create this monster with us. We also would like to sincerely thank: Sir William Steer (Carcass) and Loic Rossetti (The Ocean) for their stellar guest appearances. Magnus Lindberg (Cult Of Luna) for adding a huge impact at the final mastering stages and finally: Pelagic Records, for giving the King a new home. Sombre Dessein has been a long and exhausting birth to deliver and we are beyond excited to present this record. Let the journey begin, King Herod is coming…”
Sombre Dessein is out tomorrow on Pelagic Records. Purchase here.
Words: George Parr
