PATRIARKH present the official live video for «WIERSZALIN III» – Digital Mediaverse

Polish black metal icons PATRIARKH (before Batushka) embark on a dark and ominous pilgrimage on their upcoming concept album, «ПРОРОК ИЛИЯ» (Lat. PROROK ILJA), out January 3rd via Napalm Records. The official live video of «WIERSZALIN III» can be seen below. The video was recorded live during CZARNA PASCHA II in Krakow, Poland, in September.

«ПРОРОК ИЛИЯ» details a true story that occurred in the band’s native area, Podlasie, in the village of Grzybowszczyzna, in the 1930s and 1940s. The album takes the listener into the world of Eliasz Klimowiczhe Prophet Ilja titular, an illiterate peasant who was the leader of the Grzybowska Orthodox sect, active until the 1960s, cultivating and transmitting the story of the self-proclaimed prophet. PATRIARKH He spread his gospel using an arsenal of folk instruments, such as tagelharpa, mandolin, mandocello, hurdy-gurdy, and string dulcimer, and worked with a symphony orchestra and choirs to give his new creations the most organic and vivid feel possible. As it is a trademark in the music of PATRIARKHorthodox sacredness mixes with black and doom metal, now greatly enriched with folk music, neo dark folk and even film music. The band uses the full palette of Orthodox music, venturing into the areas of Byzantine monody, liturgical chant and Russian polyphony, carefully adapting folk and liturgical melodies to their own style.

PATRIARKH about the new album:

«With this new release, we begin a new chapter in our history: not only does our name change, but our music also undergoes a natural evolution. The story of the album encouraged us to get out of our comfort zone, we looked for mediums that we had not used before in our music. Many of you will wonder if this is still black metal. Or is it even metal? Radio play, audiobook, theater, film soundtrack, folk music, performance… All these terms will have a place here. Some will hate, others will love…”

The lyrical side of «ПРОРОК ИЛИЯ» is an interesting mix of theater and pastoralism. PATRIARKH uses fragments of texts from the play «Prorok Ilja» and draws on the messages contained in the works of Włodzimierz Pawluczuk, combining it with folkloric and liturgical texts. In “ПРОРОК ИЛИЯ«, listeners can hear multiple languages ​​– and Polish for the first time! The album was recorded in January and May 2024 in Tall Pine Records (Behemoth, Zalewski, Afromental), Henry House (Behemoth, Vesania, Hate), Wem Studio (Kasa Chorych, Lukasyno, Cira) and the study Radio Białystok. Mixing and mastering was carried out by Wojciech Wiesławski in Hertz Studio (Vader, Behemoth, Decapitated), and the production was led by the band’s mastermind and lead vocalist Bartłomiej ‘Варфоломей’ Krysiuk. «ПРОРОК ИЛИЯ‘is an album full of emotions, sentimentality and folklore. “It is pastoral, lyrical, epic, multidimensional and multicolored, as my Podlasie is multicolored,” he says. Варфоломей. Dive into the deepest of all shadows with this black metal masterpiece and join PATRIARKH on this intriguing journey!

«ПРОРОК “ИЛИЯ” will be available in the following formats:

• Wooden box (Digipak, extra CD, pendant, flag and patch) – 300 copies (Napalm Records Mailorder and Patriarkh Shop exclusively).
• Deluxe Vinyl 2LP GATEFOLD GOLD (alternate album cover, bonus vinyl and 24-page vinyl booklet) – 300 copies (exclusive to Napalm Records Mailorder and Patriarkh Shop)
• 1LP GATEFOLD SILVER Vinyl – 300 copies (Napalm Records Mailorder exclusive)
• 1LP GATEFOLD MARBLED ORANGE RED BLACK Vinyl – 300 copies (Napalm Records Mailorder exclusive)
• 1LP Gatefold on Black Vinyl
• 6-page Digipak
• digital album

Place your order here.

PATRIARKH are:
ВАРФОЛОМИЕЙ – Voice
ЛЕХ – Battery
МОНАХ ТАРЛАХАН – Guitars
МОНАХ БОРУТА – Guitars
АРХАНГЕЛ МИХАИЛ – Guitars
ХИАЦЫНТОС ЯЦА – Chorus
ЯЗЫЧНИК – Chorus

(Photo – Jacek Jaca Wisniewsky)