Exclusives
Stop What You’re Doing and Listen to Ihsahn’s “Celestial Violence” (Exclusive)
I have premiered more songs on Bloody-Disgusting over the years than I can remember. From synth to metal and everything in between (as well as in other directions), I have brought music that either I love or that I think some of you will really enjoy. Today, I bring you a mixture of both.
I am beyond excited to bring you an exclusive first listen to Ihsahn‘s “Celestial Violence”, which comes from his upcoming sixth solo album Arkits (Candlelight/Spinefarm).
Related: Ihsahn Talks ‘Arktis’, The Emperor Vinyl Boxset, and More (Interview)
The track, which features guest vocals from Einar Solberg of Leprous, is absolutely breathtaking. Opening with soft piano chords, Solberg enters with a hushed, almost aching tone, pleading, “Stay/And I will turn these unforgiving words into a star/Stay/This scenery would change if we could watch it from afar.” His voice gently cracks, as though he is on the verge of tears and full of raw emotion. Suddenly, the song explodes, distorted guitars, thunderous drums, and swelling strings erupting forth as Ihsahn roars the song’s title. After the chorus, the song comes back down but this time there is a strength, a confidence, that wasn’t there before. Solberg sings as though he has planted his feet and stands tall. The final chorus sees both Solberg and Ihsahn trading lines, playing off of each other in a battle of yearning versus rage.
Richly dynamic and heartbreakingly beautiful, “Celestial Violence” is the type of song that proves metal can be art, that heaviness doesn’t mean ugly. I don’t do this often but I beg you to give this song your full attention. Stop whatever you’re doing and really, truly listen. I’ve played this song more times than I can count and it still hits me just as hard as the first time I heard it. It is further proof that Ihsahn is one of the most innovative and brilliant songwriters of the genre.
Arktis comes out this Friday. You can pre-order your copy via iTunes or through Omerch.
Ihsahn online:
Official Website
Facebook
Twitter
Exclusives
‘The Haunting of Pennhurst’ Exclusive Clip Trains Scare Actors For Historic Haunt in Tribeca Doc
The past and present collide in haunting, poignant ways in the genre documentary The Haunting of Pennhurst, which sees a Halloween haunt serve as a reclamation of true historic horrors.
Ahead of its world premiere at the 25th Tribeca Film Festival, we have an exclusive clip that sees scare actors in training for the Halloween season. The catch? This haunt is opening at the historic Pennhurst State School & Hospital site, a facility that caused immense harm to its disabled patients over decades of its operation.
In the documentary, “For over seventy years, Pennhurst State School & Hospital was called a place of care. What happened inside killed over half its population. It closed in 1987, leaving behind unmarked graves and an unresolved history. Today, on those same grounds, disabled performers – many living with the same conditions that once sent people to Pennhurst – put on their makeup, pull on their costumes, and prepare to scare people for a living.
“Through grit, compassion, and buckets of blood, the eclectic performers of the Pennhurst Asylum haunted attraction are wrestling with a space that is at once a lucrative business and a gravesite.”
The upcoming documentary hails from directing trio Nathan Stenberg, Mike Attie, and Katarina Poljak, who explore their socially-relevant subject through archival footage, first-hand accounts, and an immersive verité.
“Pennhurst has haunted us since we first passed through its dragon-tooth gates; the horrors of the institution echo through the site today. We are so grateful to bring this film to the Tribeca Festival, particularly the Escape from Tribeca section, which feels right for a story where past and present bleed together. We hope audiences leave unnerved and asking the same uncomfortable questions we did,” Attie, Stenberg, and Poljak said in a statement.
Watch the clip below that sees disabled and neurodivergent scare actors learning the ropes of a Halloween haunt, reclaiming the site’s grim history in the process.
Tribeca Screenings:
- Public 1 (Premiere) Screening – Friday, June 5 at 9:15PM at Village East by Angelika
- Public 2 Screening – Sunday, June 7 at 3:15PM at Village East by Angelika
- Public 3 Screening – Tuesday, June 9 at 6:15PM at Village East by Angelika
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