Seattle blackened sludge trio Stricken announces new album »From Dark Dimensions An Unspeakable Presence Awakens«; first single/video out now!
Seattle, Washington based blackened sludge metal trio Stricken has announced their sophomore album, »From Dark Dimensions An Unspeakable Presence Awakens«, which will be released on November 6th, 2026 via Horror Pain Gore Death Productions.
Watch a music video for the first single »Darkness Impenetrable« below!
Tracklist:
01. Dust From The Grave
02. Darkness Impenetrable
03. Moonless
04. Touch Of Corruption
05. From Nothing To Nothing
Courtesy of Earsplit PR:
Horror Pain Gore Death Productions will release »From Dark Dimensions An Unspeakable Presence Awakens«, the second album from blackened sludge metal henchmen Stricken, on November 6th, today unveiling the album’s details including preorders and an explosive video for »Darkness Impenetrable«.
Based in the Seattle, Washington area, born from a nightmare and forged in suffering, every Stricken song will challenge you as a listener, and doom you to be forever separated from your notions of genre. This unholy trio began as a duo, with bassist/vocalist Rob Ropkins (ex-Deadly Light, Pipefitter, North American Bison, Pinned Red) and guitarist Nick Charlton collaborating on raw, sludge-laden riffage. Chris Wozniak (Lair Of The Minotaur, Earthen Grave, I Klatus) brought his drum kit into the fold in 2017, after moving to Seattle and responding to a Craigslist ad that cited influences including Celtic Frost, Coffins, and Autopsy. Within a year, Stricken recorded a demo in Woz’s garage and began playing regional shows and in 2022 they created the seven-song album »From A Well Of Emptiness, A Stygian Serpent Born«, recorded by friend and local engineer Tom Thew and released on Horror Pain Gore Death.
Photos by Ben Schauland
But now, Stricken presents five new, epic, true-to-form songs that take their attack to the next level of depravity on »From Dark Dimensions An Unspeakable Presence Awakens«. Delivering another monstrous dose of darkness and despair with ferocity and an experimental alchemy of styles, the album explores concepts of the dark subconscious, self-destruction, unspeakable horror, existential dread, and nihilism. Continuing to push boundaries faster than before, dynamically shifting to intensely crushing and oppressive, and showing up with deep groove and experimental arrangements, »From Dark Dimensions An Unspeakable Presence Awakens« is a simply decimating audio document. A bullseye choice for devotees to the works of Neurosis, Inter Arma, Yob, Conan, Celtic Frost, Triptykon, Craft, and High On Fire.
»From Dark Dimensions An Unspeakable Presence Awakens« was recorded by the band, engineered by Nick Charlton and mixed by Chris Wozniak. Mastering was handled by James Plotkin at Plotkinworks (Khanate, Earth, Amarok) and the artwork was created by visual artist Tom Denney (Black Cobra, Soilent Green, Weedeater).
The devastating lead preview of the album, »Darkness Impenetrable«, arrives through a video filmed and directed by Ben Schauland. Wozniak writes, “»Darkness Impenetrable« is about being in the presence of a darkness so complete that it is wholly repressive and incomprehensible, be it an entity or an emotion. The video was shot in Snohomish County, Washington, in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, a location that we felt captured the essence of the song.”
Blast Stricken’s »Darkness Impenetrable« video on YouTube HERE, and stream the song everywhere including on Bandcamp HERE.
»From Dark Dimensions An Unspeakable Presence Awakens« will be released on CD and digital platforms on November 6th. Physical copies and merch can be preordered at Horror Pain Gore Death Productions HERE, digital preorders HERE, and digital presaves HERE.
Additional preview tracks will drop preceding the album’s release. Stricken is working on regional tour dates for the months ahead in support of the record and is already working on new music.
Stricken is:
Rob Ropkins – Bass/Vocals
Nick Charlton – Guitar
Chris Wozniak – Drums
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well