Norwegian black metal outfit Mannkvern has signed with Wormholedeath Records and announced the release of its debut album, The Harlot's Wake, on 4 December. To mark the occasion, the band has unveiled the first single, "The Former Things Have Passed Away", offering a bleak and uncompromising introduction to the album's dark thematic and sonic landscape.
Founded by Orkana V (Man Gremmes Kan, Nattsol, Gnipaheller, ex-Ragnarok live), Mannkvern emerged from a six-year creative journey following his move from Norway to Poland. What began as a solo studio project evolved into a fully realised black metal entity, drawing inspiration from Norwegian and Eastern European black metal traditions, while incorporating the sombre atmosphere of old hymnals.
Spanning seven tracks and over 40 minutes, The Harlot's Wake explores themes of theological collapse, psychological decay, and humanity's cyclical return to primal instincts. Featuring the precise drumming of K. Voster, the album draws lyrical inspiration from the New Testament, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and George Orwell.
"The album chronicles our inherent pull toward suffering and our need to believe in failing systems," explains Orkana V. From the desperate scriptural invocations of "The Former Things Have Passed Away" to the predatory impulses explored in "Masochistic Displeasure", the album presents a stark reflection on the darker aspects of human nature.
The record also features guest appearances by Raum (Noen Hater Oss, Sjelferd), Embor (Mother Ov Light), Hellgrave (Grave Silence), and Maurice Wilson (Antrisch). Meanwhile, Mannkvern is assembling a live line-up, with plans to take the stage in 2027. Link
The Harlot's Wake tracklist:
01. Woe Betide You
02. The Former Things Have Passed Away
03. Tempelets Barn
04. Masochistic Displeasure
05. Avgrunn
06. The Harlot's Wake
07. Send Your Sons to Bury Your Daughters
08. The Crystal Palace (Forlorn cover)
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"Art isn't meant to always be pretty and make us feel comfortable and good about ourselves. I'm not afraid to broach difficult emotions and to express the beautiful ones too." - Martin Saint
"It's about humans; we are the high parasites. We feast on the earth and on all the things that the earth gives us. We don't just take a little bit, we take everything." - Aaron Stainthorpe
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