In 2021, Italian cosmic doom metal band Ghostheart Nebula released its debut full-length, Ascension. It was an album that spoke to the hearts of those who heard it, hypnotising them with its haunting poignancy and majesty. Throughout the long days and endless nights since the arrival of Ascension, fans have been patiently watching the skies, waiting for the next outpouring of emotion, the next invitation to travel the stars with Ghostheart Nebula... and that time is nearly upon us. Ghostheart Nebula has returned with a new album that towers above all its previous achievements; an album of beauty and sadness beyond imagination, an album of breathtaking scale and immeasurable depth... Blackshift.

Having passed through the shimmering haze that is the introduction, "VdB 141 IC 1805", a portal to the magnificent, overwhelming sounds that lie beyond, Blackshift begins in earnest with a single "Sunya" - a descent into the void through understanding and acceptance, which features a radiant guest guitar solo from Diego 'Didi' Cavallotti (ex-Lacuna Coil). Multi-faceted, many-layered and richly textured, "Sunya" is a captivating beginning to this journey of transcendence and transformation. The ethereal voice of Lucia Amelia Emmanueli leads us on into "The Opal Tide', a silver thread through the darkness, and when this song explodes into life it sends shock waves across the consciousness. August and funereal, led in stately procession by the dual, contrasting vocals - a concept made new and magical again by Ghostheart Nebula - time becomes meaningless as you wander this lightless eternity. There is a sadness beyond our mundane emotions that permeates wonderful songs like 'Naught, I' and 'Infinite Mirror' (featuring some deft acoustic guitar work from Øystein G. Brun of Borknagar), a glimpse of the infinite and eternal that brings a staggering, ego-shattering sense of smallness...nothingness. There is so much to discover within this album, this grand creation which seems to weave pathways of light across the universe, spanning distances beyond comprehension; the gargantuan riffs, the incredible vocal presences, the emotive performances, the dynamism of texture and tempo...together they invoke a starscape of terrifying, unforgettable beauty.

Blessed with a sound of fitting stature, thanks in no small part to the mixing and mastering skills of Øystein G. Brun (Borknagar, The Troops Of Doom, Sojourner, etc.), Blackshift will be released through Meuse Music Records on 17 October. Completed by the intriguing artwork of the multitalented Heike Langhans (Lord Of Shadows, Remina, Sojourner, etc.), Blackshift is an album that, once experienced, will never be forgotten. Link