Photo by Hattoo
Watch/stream NINE TREASURES’ “Real Dream” HERE.
Chinese Mongolian progressive metal outfit NINE TREASURES will unleash their Seeking The Absolute full-length on October 24th via Metal Blade Records, today unveiling the record’s first single and preorders.
Formed by vocalist/guitarist Askhan in 2010 in the autonomous region of Inner Mongolia in China, NINE TREASURES delivers a unique combination of heavy metal and traditional Mongolian instrumentation, utilizing both conventional vocals and Mongolian throat singing. Guitars, bass, and drums collide with indigenous string instruments including the balalaika and the morin khuur (horsehead fiddle), resulting in a sonic kaleidoscope that follows no set template. Playing 100-plus festival shows and headlining gigs per year in Asia, to audiences of up to 50,000, and with four albums to their name, NINE TREASURES are at the top of their proverbial game and ready to conquer North America. Seeking The Absolute is their first record for Metal Blade, and first LP to have a worldwide release.
“On Seeking The Absolute, we tried to capture the things that truly excite us deep inside; those unforgettable moments when your mind swings wide open to infinite possibilities,” says Askhan. “You open a brand-new realm for yourself, unfamiliar, yet incredibly thrilling. At the same time, it’s like an enormous puzzle, and to complete it, you also need calm reflection and meticulous analysis. That’s why we look upon it as ‘seeking the absolute.’”
The band takes its name from a group of objects referenced in ancient Mongolian poems, and in their music, lyrics, and visuals, the band touches on the mythology and fairy tales of their homeland. But the band’s songs contain more universal references, too, explains Askhan, a practicing Buddhist. “Lyrically, [title track] ‘Seeking The Absolute’ for example is about holding onto faith and seeking the ultimate truth of the universe. That’s something I’ve personally been striving for in recent years so in many ways, this song is a message to myself. A kind of self-encouragement. But I also hope it can bring strength to others, too.”
NINE TREASURES moves easily from a straight-up headbanging style to the more atmospheric progressive style. Guitar-wise, Askhan uses a lot of Mongolian playing techniques and songwriting logic into his playing and is excited for the “fresh blood” it adds to the band’s sound. The quintet’s varied approaches and universal messaging will allow them to tour with any musically progressive band, be it Amon Amarth or Tool.
The first single from Seeking The Absolute is “Real Dream,” a song written while the band was in Los Angeles. “‘Real Dream’ marked a turning point for the band,” says Askhan, “it felt like stepping into a new dimension. Through this song, we rediscovered our confidence and broke through a long creative bottleneck. It truly felt like a rebirth. We explored every possible structure, piecing together the perfect arrangement through endless trial and error. And in the end, we got exactly what we had envisioned — it was all worth it.”
Watch NINE TREASURES’ “Real Dream” video HERE.
Seeking The Absolute will be released on CD and digital as well as vinyl in the following color variants:
180g Black (EU)
Red Galaxy (US – Ltd. 300)
Orange/Red/Black Melt (EU – Ltd. 200
Find preorders at metalblade.com/ninetreasures.
Seeking The Absolute Track Listing:
- Until Now
- Indecision
- Yellow-Black Storm
- Steel Falcon
- Real Dream
- The Ultimate Evolution
- Just Like You
- Lonely Old Horse
- Seeking The Absolute
NINE TREASURES:
Askhan – guitars, vocals, balalaika, tovshuur
Orgil – bass, backing vocals
Saina – balalaika, backing vocals, guitars
Namra – drums
Nars – morin khuur, backing vocals
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