photos by Nikolaj Bransholm
Aarhus, Denmark-based melodic death metal quintet LIVLØS has announced their epic third full-length release, The Crescent King, which will see release October 4th. Today, MetalSucks is hosting the worldwide premiere of an animated video for the album’s lead single, “Usurpers,”
Since the band’s inception in 2014, LIVLØS has proven themselves to be an ingenious force on the international death metal scene. Since the release of their deeply personal debut album Into Beyond (2018), which depicted a band in a time of heavy personal struggle, they have continued to grow – which is evident in both songwriting and technical prowess. Their second album And Then There Were None (2021), released by Napalm Records, immediately sounded darker and more ambitious, which resonated with fans and critics alike.
Following the second album’s release, LIVLØS toured extensively, including a big sold-out Copenhagen headliner, a European tour with Konvent and Implore, and a national headliner tour alongside appearances at Inferno Festival, Tallinn Music Week and not least the band’s triumphant live peak in front of 14,000 people at Copenhell in 2023. LIVLØS kept themselves creative along the way and never missed a chance to write, despite a busy touring schedule. Already in 2022, a new album worth of material was written, and the band entered the studio once again with producer Jacob Bredahl to record the new offering.
The triumphant ascendance of LIVLØS continues in the conceptual cosmo-narrative of The Crescent King, with the band delivering their punishing style of heavy grooves, melancholic melodies, and progressive musicianship, while unfolding a cosmological fantasy-inspired narrative. The album bears witness to a band forever striving towards constant evolution and delivering the best possible songwriting, musicianship, and production value, complementing the ambitious concept as far as the prog elements now standing strong alongside traits of experimental dissonance to balance the band’s ear for majestic melodies.
As LIVLØS is always balancing their musical ambition and various influences into one singular heavy vision, the band also skillfully communicates its view on their main thematic subject matter – humankind. As on the prior releases, on our very race, homo sapiens, is also the focus of the band’s scrutiny on The Crescent King. Where’ the prior album delivered a perspective on life and death on several levels, written from a very personal place of loss, sorrow and mental conditions, this time, the band wished to conceive a fictional, conceptual piece throwing its gaze on the more general dispositions of the human condition, its psyche and place in the cosmic cyclus of the universe.
Thus, The Crescent King is a symbol of humankind in all its aspects, good and evil and in between. It is the tale of the king undertaking a journey through space and time, in which he discovers the secrets of himself and humankind. But it is also a story on how a good soul and its benevolent intentions can corrupt in the face of power, delusion and despair. Stylistically the existential space odyssey takes place in a fantasy-like, middle age setting with a hint of Lovecraftian horror lurking in the shadows, complementing LIVLØS’ complex but unmistakable captivating musical vision.
LIVLØS’ The Crescent King was produced by Jacob Bredahl (Lifesick, Eyes), mastered by Brad Boatright (Obituary, Suicide Silence, Gatecreeper, Nails), and features artwork by Eliran Kantor (Testament, Bloodbath, Kreator, Hate Eternal).
The album’s lead single is delivered through an animated video created by Simon Gorm Eskildsen. The band writes, “‘Usurpers’ is the first single from our upcoming album, The Crescent King. Play it now, play it loud—foul usurpers all!
“While staying true to the sound that has defined us over the past decade, we also wanted to branch out with the new album. This track, in particular, embodies this expansion. Doubling down, we created an animated video in the old-school art style that we know and love, encapsulating the conceptual story that unfolds over the course of these ten tracks.
“Upon this end of eventide, a fateful plot ensued. Please welcome ‘Usurpers.’”
MetalSucks is hosting the video’s premiere, writing in part, “After listening to the lead single for their upcoming album The Crescent King a number of times now, all I can honestly say about LIVLØS’ ‘Usurpers’ is that it’s fucking epic… Given the fact that the song is part of The Crescent King’s storyline, it’s awesome then that the accompanying video is equally evocative as the track itself… to see a song and video come together to create an experience that really enhances both aspects.”
Watch LIVLØS’ “Usurpers” video first at MetalSucks RIGHT HERE.
Find the “Usurpers” single on digital streaming platforms HERE.
The Crescent King will be released on LP, CD, and digital platforms on October 4th via the band’s own Noctum Productions.
Watch for preorders and additional videos/singles to be issued over the months ahead, and the release of the album will be followed by extensive touring throughout Scandinavia and Europe.
The Crescent King Track Listing:
1. Solstice
2. Orbit Weaver
3. The Crescent King
4. Maelstrom
5. Usurpers
6. Scourge Of The Stars
7. Harvest
8. Solace
9. Throne Of Cosm
10. Endless Majesty
LIVLØS:
Niklas Lykke Frederiksen – vocals
Franz Aleksander Posch – guitar
Kenneth Søe Breinbjerg – guitar
Benjamin Andreassen – bass
Thomas Dannemand Jensen – drums
https://livloesband.com
https://livloesband.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/livloesband
https://www.instagram.com/livloesband
https://www.youtube.com/c/livloesband