UK sludge/doom metal duo Goblinsmoker announce debut album »The King’s Eternal Throne« and premiere first single »Shamanic Rites«!

Durham, UK based sludge/doom metal duo Goblinsmoker premiere the first single »Shamanic Rites« taken from their debut album, »The King’s Eternal Throne«, which will be released on July 25th, 2025 via APF Records.

Tracklist:
01. Shamanic Rites
02. Burn Him
03. The King’s Eternal Throne
04. Toad King (Forest Synth Offering)

The band comments: “The preorder for our new record, »The King’s Eternal Throne«, is now live on the APF Records website. This also be will be available on Bandcamp tomorrow, along with the first track from it – »Shamanic Rites«. This track will also be on all streaming sites from midnight tonight.

This record brings the “Toad King” trilogy to it’s conclusion – revealing the fate of the King, which was sealed back when he first encountered the Goblin Forest. Picking up where the last instalment left off and following the slaying of the ruling toad class, the world is now covered in darkness; ruled over by the Toad King and his goblin masses.

»Shamanic Rites« reveals a plan that was hatched in the shadows. The Shaman seeing the opportunity to unite the chaotic rabble of goblins under one banner; The banner of the Toad King. Bestowing divine status upon him, the goblin’s worship would become so feverous they would willingly sacrifice themselves to him, giving their bodies and ultimately their smoke. While this smoke helped the King escape his disdain for the world around him, it also weakened his mind and opened it up to influence; influence of the Shaman. This ultimately saw the King march his army of goblins against the ruling toad class and delivering the world to the goblins. Now the Shaman’s plan has come to fruition, the King has served his purpose. »Shamanic Rites« sees the revealing of this plan – and the Shaman put plans in motion to poison and ultimately kill the King, unbeknownst to his goblin subjects – who still worship him with as much vigour as ever! “Goblins rose, goblins rule.”

»The King’s Eternal Throne« is available on black/orange haze vinyl, as well as orange or black cassettes. It features three tracks which tell the final chapters of this trilogy, along with a special dungeon synth rework of »Toad King«.

This record, as well as the rest of the trilogy, is dedicated to the memory of founding drummer and former bassist Calum Young. Each record and cassette holds a dedication to his memory. Without him none of this would have been possible. The physical copies of the record, along with the other tracks will be released 25th of July.

Thank you to everyone who has been involved in helping us get to this point and to APF for helping get this record out there. It blows us away each day to look back and see we have made it to this point. Thank you. Worship Him.”

Courtesy of APF Records:

The third and final chapter of the Toad King trilogy is nearly upon us. Goblinsmoker are ready to complete the story they began deep in the goblin-infested forests of their imagination. »The King’s Eternal Throne« is the climactic instalment: the King’s fate revealed, a long-buried plan uncovered, and the final reckoning drawn in smoke and haze.

Goblinsmoker began in late 2016 as a one-man project out of Durham, with a mission: to fuse the bleak, atmospheric weight of black metal with the fuzz-drenched riff worship of doom – and to build a full-blown mythology to go with it. From the outset, this wasn’t just music. It was a world.

At the centre of that world: the Toad King, a discontented ruler of goblins whose subjects willingly sacrifice themselves to be smoked by their monarch in a twisted act of loyalty and transcendence. That tale – part folklore, part fever dream – would come to life across a trilogy of concept releases.

With the debut instalment nearly written, Goblinsmoker became a duo and entered the studio. The result, Toad King, was released in 2018 and sold out within days, driven by word of mouth and a mere 20-second music clip. A second pressing sold even faster.

Live shows followed. The band expanded to a trio and brought the Toad King to the stage, translating the thick atmosphere of the records into a slow-burning, immersive live experience. While gigging, they began work on part two.

»A Throne In Haze, A World Ablaze« pushed the story forward: the Toad King, led astray by a goblin shaman, wages war on his own kind. The album was recorded in late 2019 and released in early 2020. That same year, Goblinsmoker played Fall Of Man in Munich, and in 2021 shared stages with Conan and headlined shows at New Cross Inn and Fell Foot Wood.

In late 2021, the Toad King wrote to APF Records. We were summoned. We answered. That letter led to the band’s first APF release, the Sweet Paravoid EP, released in September 2022 – a cult hit that laid the groundwork for what comes next.

Now, the trilogy concludes. The goblins have seized power. The forest burns with secrets. Every move the Toad King made is exposed for what it really was. This is the end of the path – the final fog-drenched chapter in a saga six years in the making.

Recorded and mixed by Joe Clayton at No Studio.
Mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege.
Art by Adam C Design.

Pre-order »The King’s Eternal Throne« here:
apfrecords.co.uk/bands/goblinsmoker
goblinsmoker.bandcamp.com

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