Brightonian rock trio Esben and the Witch have announced that they’ll be returning with their fourth effort Older Terrors on 4th November. The record will see them harnessing something more primordial, with emotive strings countered by shamanic drumming and the haunting vocals of Rachel Davies still present.
The group talked about the creation of the new album: “Our forthcoming album Older Terrors was written and recorded over the course of a year in Berlin, our adopted home. We’ve spent eight years getting here, sweating on stages, holed up in studios and exploring all that which inspires awe and terror. The album features four tracks. In this digital age of music we wanted to create a collection that worked together but could also be separated, each track standing alone, carving its own path and telling its own tale. T his record is dedicated to the sublime. To Edward Young’s Night Thoughts, John Martin’s apocalyptic visions, Caspar David Friedrich’s forays into the forest and to the sparks of light that glimmer in times of utter darkness.”
To coincide with the announcement, the trio have shared a new track, ‘Sylvan.’ The 13-minute long song builds incredibly slowly to create emotional pinnacles and moments of noisy grandeur. The band said of the track: “We wanted to paint a picture of a forest in flames. Of wild destruction, spectacular and terrifying. The calm amidst the ancient pines shattered by an insatiable desire, all-consuming, all-devouring and with a raging intensity so fierce it can set anything on fire. Ultimately, as the flames engulf the trees, it is a song about searching for meaning and even beauty in a burning world.” Listen below.
