In the grand tradition of black metal supremacy, 1349 returns with a searing standalone single, Ash of Ages, paving the desolate path to their much-anticipated North American tour later this May. Echoing the grim roots of black metal’s full-throated cry, Ash of Ages ascends from the band’s profound depths to scorch the earth with its presence.

1349 have been the unrelenting force of Norwegian black metal since their rise from the realm of Alvheim in 1997. Their journey throughout the years has been relentless, an endless pursuit to refine their dark craft. With each release, they’ve etched their mark deeper into the annuls of the genre, and Ash of Ages is nothing less than a continuation of this furious legacy.

Listen to the new single Ash of Ages here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSPgKepXnbA&ab_channel=SeasonofMist

The Norwegian black metal titans are set to unleash their blistering storm across Eastern Canada and the U.S. this May, commencing with a thunderous roar at Dark Lord Day Festival in Munster, IN.

Along for this malevolent crusade are the enigmatic Canadian occultists Spectral Wound, the ferocious Antichrist Siege Machine from Richmond, and the spellbinding Spirit Possession hailing from Oregon.

1349 will be bringing along the new single on 12″ vinyl – lucky souls attending one of the 11 hellish rituals will get the chance to get the first new music since 1349‘s critically-acclaimed 2019 album The Infernal Pathway.

Tracklist: 1. Ash of Ages (Standalone Single) (5:27)

1349 is AURAL HELLFIRE. That has been, and continues to be, the primary concept since the band first rose from the ashes of Alvheim in 1997. Conceived around the founding members – vocalist and former drummer Ravn, guitarist Tjalve, and Seidemann on bass – 1349 completed their line-up with the addition of guitarist Archaon in 1999 and SATYRICON drum-legend Frost in 2001.

When their debut Liberation was unleashed in 2003, the Norwegians took the world by storm with their intense blend of old school black metal soundscapes and ultra-fast aggression. Further assaults followed in rapid succession. Beyond the Apocalypse (2004) and Hellfire (2005) cemented the band’s reputation as one of the strongest acts in the scene.

Upon the departure of founding member Tjalve, who decided to focus on his band PANTHEON I, 1349 have since continued as a four-piece – occasionally adding guest guitarists. Extensive touring aided the growth of their now massive following when the four piece opened for reunited metal legends CELTIC FROST in North America in 2006.

Impressively demonstrating that holding true to the principles of the genre do not mean nostalgia and stagnation, 1349 widened their sonic palette with Revelations of the Black Flame (2009), which was co-mixed by CELTIC FROST mastermind Tom Gabriel “Warrior” Fischer. This inspired a newfound ambient darkness from the band, which was further explored on Demonoir (2010).

Massive Cauldron of Chaos (2013) was the next milestone in the Norwegians merciless advance, scoring excellent reviews and a nomination for a Norwegian Grammy (Spellemannprisen). The release sparked more festival shows as well as extensive touring, bringing 1349 to Australia and New Zealand. In 2018, the Munch Museum and Innovation Norway chose 1349 as one of four bands to create a song based on the paintings of Edvard Munch. As a result, the single Dødskamp was released earlier this year.

After performing a fiery show at Norway’s Inferno festival this year, 1349 started recording in Amper Tone studios and Studio Nyhagen with engineer Jarrett Pritchard. Thus, The Infernal Pathway was born, a sonic parallel to summoning and unleashing the beast of the abyss in all its fearsome, ferocious and powerful splendor.

Now, in 2024, the Norwegian black metal titans 1349 are readying themselves to bring AURAL HELLFIRE across the US in May & EU in October. With these rituals, they bring the fiery Ash of Ages, marking new things to come…

1349 line-up: Archaon – Guitars / Frost – Drums / Ravn – Vocals / Seidemann – Bass