UK atmospheric doom metal band Pantheïst unveil the title track from the upcoming EP »Kings Must Die«; out March 8th via Melancholic Realm Productions!

Wales, UK based atmospheric doom metal band Pantheïst has unveiled new single and lyric video »Kings Must Die« featuring Jake Harding on lead vocals.

»Kings Must Die« is the title track from the band’s upcoming EP, set to release on March 8th, 2024 via Melancholic Realm Productions.

Video by Tiberiu Lefterache. The track was edited for the purpose of the video. The full 14:44 long version, will be featured on the upcoming EP.

Tracklist:
01. Kings Must Die (feat. Jake Harding)
02. 1000 Years (Performed at Organic Doom Vol I)
03. O Solitude (Performed at Organic Doom Vol I)
04. Strange Times (Performed at Organic Doom Vol I)
05. Pantheïst at Organic Doom Vol I (full performance)

The unlikely marriage of a doom metal band with a live pipe organist!

“Since our »1000 Years« demo, pipe organ sounds have been central to the vibe of Pantheïst. I remember how back in 2001, in a letter correspondence with a German fan (yes, we are that old) he suggested that we should continue using ‘church organ sounds like the godfathers of funeral doom, Skepticism’.

This is exactly what we did in the years that followed, and pipe organs remained integral to the band’s sound, inspired by Skepticism as well as baroque composers such as J.S. Bach. 22 years later, we finally got the first opportunity to perform some of these tracks with an actual pipe organ! It all started with a local drive to promote Huddersfield Town Hall’s pipe organ as a versatile instrument which can give depth and volume to many musical genres, of which doom metal is naturally one due to its slow tempo and emphasis on heaviness. Mark Deeks from Northumbrian monastic doomsters Arð invited us as support to the event and the rest, as they say, is history.

Photo by Cheryl Panagiotou

Preparing for the gig was an interesting experience. To start with, I had to write scores of the pipe organ parts for the organist, something I’m not accustomed to. Then we rehearsed while ‘imagining’ the organ parts, as the organist David Pipe (what’s in a name…) was based four hours away and naturally couldn’t join us for rehearsals.

The gig took place on a Monday evening- most unusual day for an event in a town not renowned for doom metal performances. We arrived Monday morning at Huddersfield Town Hall and were greeted by a loud buzzing sound of the monitoring system, with Mark Mynett (Professor at Huddersfield Uni, formerly of Kill II This and producer of the last two My Dying Bride albums) trying to tame the different aspects of such a massive enterprise: marrying up the electric sound of two doom metal bands with a pipe organ! Due to all the details that had to be taken care of as part of this monumental task, Pantheïst could only manage a 10-minute soundcheck, which took place 10 minutes before the opening of the doors to 300 people, among which the legendary Arthur Brown (no pressure there…) We managed to practice half a track by that point, keeping in mind we still hadn’t heard all of the parts due to be performed by the organist!”

~ Kostas, November 2023 (Excerpt from the CD liner notes).

Track 1 recorded at various locations during the year 2023. Engineered and mixed by Jeremy Lewis. Mastered by Mark Mynett.
Drums recorded by Timothy Vincent at Longwave.
Atanas Kyurkchiev – guitar
Fanel Lefterache – drums
Jeremy Lewis – guitar
Kostas Panagiotou – brutal vocals, keyboards
Matthew Strangis – bass
Lead vocals performed by Jake Harding.
Operatic vocals performed by Linda Dumitru.

Tracks 2-4 recorded at Huddersfield Town Hall in June 2023. Engineered, mixed and mastered by Mark Mynett.
Atanas Kyurkchiev – guitar
Fanel Lefterache – drums
Kostas Panagiotou – vocals, keyboards
Matthew Strangis – bass
Pipe organ performed live by David Pipe.

CD live photo captured by Abbie Jennings Photography.

Cover artwork by Cheryl Panagiotou. CD visual design by Francesco Gemelli.

Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well