“Frigid birds fly onward the north, surpassing the distance and gravity
They yet don’t know that there is no home, no place to build a nest
The rest no longer matters; the sacred land fell prey to fire
And someone’s evil will” (lyrics taken from ‘Phoenix‘)
Denoting the importance of the conceptual layer in their Art, Black Metal innovators WHITE WARD created an emblematic lyric video for their song ‘Phoenix‘. The burning tree operates as a symbol for the true and gruesome story of nature’s destruction and the abuse of power. However, as the phoenix rises from the ashes, hope must never be abandoned.
Giving musical life to this narration, WHITE WARD perfected their uncanny formula of merging the harsh aggression of Black Metal fury with melodic as well as dramatic guitar arrangements, subtle saxophone elements and spoken passages. Watch the clip below and immerse yourself in the cosmos of ‘Phoenix‘:
The 3D animation was done by Gabriele Panci, while Stepan Burban/Palindrom took care of the video editing.
Composer Yurii comments on the video:
“The tracks ‘Phoenix‘ and ‘Cronus‘ from “False Light” are both based on real and tragic events. The song ‘Phoenix‘ tells the story of Kateryna Handziuk, a Ukrainian activist, involved in the investigation of the purposeful mass forest fires in the Kherson region that were sanctioned by local officials with ties to organized crime. 2018 saw an acid attack and the subsequent hospital death of Kateryna. We decided to create additional content for these songs to motivate people so they would dig deeper into the lyrics and themes of the compositions. The reason why I mention two tracks is the fact that we planned to make a music video for ‘Cronus‘ as well. However, our plans were destroyed by war…“
“False Light” was released on CD, vinyl and digitally with fitting merch on June 17th. The album is available from the label’s EU, US and Bandcamp shops.
WHITE WARD, from Odessa, Ukraine performs intensely deviant music of a noir shade.
Formed in 2012 and taking root in raw depressive Black Metal, the band rapidly shed all boundaries, taking inspiration from an array of dark atmospheres including the writings of H.P. Lovecraft and I.M. Banks. The band’s excellent early recordings were compiled into the “Origins” compilation released in 2016.
First full-length “Futility Report” was released in 2017 by Debemur Morti Productions to instant critical acclaim. Exploring themes of borderline death states, aberrant afterlife worlds, and strange mental disorders, the WHITE WARD sound had evolved into a unique mix of Post-Black Metal, deeply emotive soundscapes and expansive dark-Jazz atmospheres utilising perfectly fitting saxophone motifs.
WHITE WARD continued to evolve in distinctive directions with 2019’s much-admired “Love Exchange Failure“: the dark-Jazz aesthetics more vibrant and deeper than before, the elements of blackened Death, Progressive and Black Metal – propelled by new drummer Noctum – now more furiously intense and complex. Lyrically the record explored more universal, less-abstract dimensions, diving into the abyss of the human psyche atop the band’s most lush and professional sound to date.
In 2021, WHITE WARD composed and recorded two new songs to celebrate the 200th release of their label Debemur Morti Productions. A continuation of the band’s progressive Black Metal experimentalism, the new EP “Debemur Morti” features Lars Nedland (BORKNAGAR, SOLEFALD) on additional vocals.
Just one year later, in June 2022, the Ukrainian Black Metal innovators are prepared to unleash their third album, “False Light“, incorporating and intertwining various influences into a potent and dystopian mix. “False Light” is an indispensable record from a stunning band at the top of their game, skillfully giving form to urban angst and the writings of Mykhailo Kotsubinsky, a famous Ukrainian writer of the early 20th century.