Watain's new album The Agony and Ecstasy of Watain is out now, and it's a beast. Our own Jeff Podoshen writes "While it still contains a significant helping of the raw emotion we've come to expect with Watain, there is a carefully woven texture of diverse sounds that blend multiple guitars and vocals in a manner that you won't ever forget." Jeff awarded the album a rating of 9.5 — clearly putting it in leading contention for what we can only imagine will be multiple Album of the Year accolades.
So, if that doesn't have you amped yet (are you alive???), then just have a look at this new performance video the Swedish black metal titans have released for the album's opening track, "Ecstasies in Night Infinite.” Filmed prior to the release of TAAEOW in a "very unique and intimate live show at the Chaudronneries de Montreuil in Paris as a warm-up for the Hellfest Open Air festival," the video is complete with flames, chains, and the legendary pummeling assault on which the band has made its calling card since 1998.
The Agony & Ecstasy of Watain caps off what has been both a challenging and rewarding few years for the band. In August 2021, the band announced they had signed with Nuclear Blast Records and had entered Necromorbus Studio to start working on TAAEOW. But they were forced to pull out of a planned tour with Mayhem due to visa issues. The Agony & Ecstasy of Watain is also the band's first album to not feature founding member Håkan Jonsson playing drums. He did, however contribute in the songwriting process with the rest of the lineup.
Watain will be doing multiple dates across Europe and the UK this summer, but for fans in the States, their lone chance to raise the dead with Watain will be at the Psycho Las Vegas festival this August 19-21. You can purchase tickets here.
