Watain, ‘Lawless Darkness’ — New Album

On June 7, the big guy downstairs will be all smiles as Swedish black metallers Watain will unleash upon this mortal coil 'Lawless Darkness,' the Satanic band's fourth full-length studio offering. The disc will contain 10 tracks, including 'Death's Cold Dark,' 'Reaping Death,' 'Wolves Curse,' 'Total Funeral' and 'Waters of Ain.'

A special digipak version of the Seasons of Mist outing will include a cover of the Death SS track 'Chains of Death' as a bonus track. The song can also be heard on the 'Reaping Death' seven-inch picture disc single, due April 30 and available now for pre-order on Season of Mist's e-shop.

The album's cover art has made the round on the Internet, which frontman Erik 'E' Danielsson says "depicts the legions of the Antichrist, released and untamed from the broken tablets of law. By the shattering of order and the collapse of the laws of the creator god, the free spirits of lawless darkness shall return to the abode of their ancient gods, and unite with them once again. The artist behind this amazing painting as well as the additional artwork for the album goes by the name of Zbigniew Bielak, a well-kept secret in the world of metal. His flawless detail and all-devouring capacity suits us perfectly, a match made in hell indeed."

Danielsson added that the album's title "symbolizes the unbound chaotic potential of that which is void of light. The light that defines, the light that shapes and restricts. The light by which the forces of law and order uphold their reign. In the absence of that light lies the wellspring of Watain: in 'Lawless Darkness.'

"With this album and in all of our efforts with Watain, we aim to capture the hungry madness and glimmering purity of darkness beyond illusion, the void that holds all yet where naught is manifest, the primordial tomb into which all the vanity of man and his creation shall collapse: indeed, the 'Lawless Darkness'! 'Lawless Darkness' shall be seen as a monument erected in honor of that collapse and a dedication to all those brave souls, who have willingly dared to venture the winding paths towards it."