“The legend says the Countess Bathory bathed in the blood of virgins to maintain her youth. Millions of people are inadvertently doing the exact same thing every day. The truth is, no matter how hard we try to be ‘cruelty free,’ we’re not…” – YIDHRA on “Cult Of Bathory”
Stream “Cult Of Bathory” HERE.
Nexr month, the stoner/doom bringers in YIDHRA will undrape a brand new EP via Black Voodoo Records. Titled Cult Of Bathory, the follow-up to 2013’s critically-lauded Hexed full-length was captured live with master engineer and producer Bill Metoyer (Slayer, Corrosion of Conformity, Trouble, etc.) at Skull Seven Productions and boasts four murky, lead-footed anthems centered on the occult, witchcraft, inhumanity, life, death and imminent destruction.
As a precursor to its release, today Invisible Oranges offers up the record’s title track for public intoxication.
“‘Cult Of Bathory,’ at its root, is about the inhumanity of humanity. I’ve always found it fascinating how the words, which are typically considered opposites, felt so synonymous,” issues YIDHRA vocalist/rhythm guitarist Ted Venemann of the lumbering track. “The most vile and inhumane acts are always perpetrated by humans. In nature, most seemingly atrocious acts can be explained by the base instinct to survive. That is definitely not the case with mankind. With our industrial capabilities and ‘advances’ in science and technology, we’ve grown quite efficient at destroying and profiting off of nature. Not even the most docile and innocent are immune to our perverse behaviors. The legend says the Countess Bathory bathed in the blood of virgins to maintain her youth. Millions of people are inadvertently doing the exact same thing every day. The truth is, no matter how hard we try to be ‘cruelty free,’ we’re not. At some point along the way there’s a product that you use, or there’s a component used in the manufacturing of that product that is covered in the blood of innocence. In that instance we are all guilty. We are all members in the Cult of Bathory.”
Adds Invisible Oranges, “It’s a given that Los Angeles produces a myriad of sounds and styles, even within heavy metal. It’s impossible to associate subgenres with the city when quality grind, sludge, crust and death metal can rage in full force on any given night. YIDHRA is a rather oddball act among the bunch. The band takes the stoner doom sound that has been overdone all across the West Coast, and brainfucks it. Ted Venemann’s gruff shouts and his ‘mad professor’ appearance mask his punk roots. Live, he attacks the stage with the same vigor and motion that he gave in his hardcore days — when was the last time you saw a doom metal singer hang from the ceiling rails? But then the theremin appears, and so does the mad professor. Between-song breaks are replaced by spaceoid oscillations conducted by Venemann, allowing just enough of a respite from Dave Krocker’s swinging power chords.”
Get down with “Cult Of Bathory” courtesy of Invisible Oranges at THIS LOCATION.
Since their inception in 2009, YIDHRA has drawn comparisons to the likes of Electric Wizard, Saint Vitus, Trouble and Candlemass. But there’s something singularly hypnotic about YIDHRA; an intangible allure slithering beneath the doom and gloom. Literally formed by the fates of tragedy, life and death, they’ve been able to rise above their roots of despair and use those experiences to forge a massively heavy, dark and catchy arsenal of material. Lyrically and visually, YIDHRA conjure strong horror and occult themes that yield a seductive sense of foreboding. Musically they build a mountain of distortion, groove, thunder and a haunting ambiance that can only be attributed to true devotees of the almighty riff, master practitioners of tone worship and a spiritual relationship with the Theremin. Though there’s been a steady evolution within the band over the years, YIDHRA‘s approach has always been focused on true expression; raw emotions and creating powerfully catchy kick ass songs.
Black Voodoo Records will release YIDHRA‘s Cult Of Bathory on December 7th, 2015 on 10-inch vinyl in three limited edition color variants: 100 blood red splattered, 100 purple sold exclusively through Black Voodoo Records, and 100 standard black. Cult Of Bathory will be available on CD and digitally in early 2016. Stay tuned for details.
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