French doom‑metal duo Aetere announce their signing to Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records and unveil their first single, “Galea” — a haunting initiation into the project’s ritualistic world. Formed in 2017, Aetere craft slow‑burning, myth‑laden compositions shaped by melancholy, introspection, and a fascination with ancient narratives refracted through modern sonic experimentation.

Aetere is built around the creative partnership of Alice Ronzini and Johan Sebenne, two musicians whose backgrounds span the breadth of France’s underground. Ronzini — handling guitar, bass, and vocals — emerged from the garage‑punk scene (La Secte du Futur, JC Satan) before exploring spectral folk textures in her solo project Ailise Blake. Sebenne, responsible for synths, bass, and machines, draws on his work with post‑metal titans Year Of No Light, his ambient electro‑acoustic project Lacustre, and earlier collaborations across experimental and psychedelic outfits.

The duo began shaping their debut album in Bordeaux, composing and recording six tracks before life scattered them across France. Sebenne relocated to Paris as the global lockdown began, initiating the mixing process, while Ronzini moved to the rural quiet of La Drôme. The project entered a suspended state until the two reunited post‑lockdown, completing the album with Ronzini finalising the mix at her newly built Studio 418.

Aetere’s music draws from the weight of Warning, the bleak pulse of Joy Division, and the atmospheric swell of My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, and Earth. Funeral tempos, monolithic riffs, and shoegaze‑drenched textures converge into a sound that feels both ancient and forward‑leaning.

Lyrically, Ronzini reaches into literary myth and mysticism — from William Blake’s Auguries of Innocence to Milton’s Paradise Lost, and the mythic worlds of Dante, Ovid, and Homer. Themes of innocence, mortality, and transcendence run through the album, inviting listeners into a space of reflection and ritual.

On joining the label, the duo states: “We are really excited and grateful that our paths crossed with Argonauta Records. We are glad that our album Theogonie found its home with so many great artists.”

Their debut single “Galea” offers the first glimpse into Aetere’s immersive universe — a slow, enveloping descent where droning riffs, ritualistic pacing, and shoegaze haze collide. It marks the band’s striking entry into the global heavy‑music landscape under their new label home.

Speaking about the track, Aetere add: “‘Galea’ speaks about friendships divided by distance, and how feelings can become so heavy they resemble dark waters. We’re glad you can finally listen — now she can be yours too.”

More details about the upcoming album Theogonie will be revealed soon. Link