BW&BK; has received the following press release:

This week saw the release on Raven Records of Pitch Black, the second full-length album from Black Metallers EPISODE 13. The 9-track album marks a distinct change in sound for the Turkish band, whose 2005 album Tabula Rasa concentrated on the more epic style of Black Metal, dealing with historical and pagan elements, and relying on keyboards to supply much of the melody. In contrast, Pitch Black has a much harder edge, and a darker, more aggressive sound, with guitars taking over the work of the now absent keyboards. Vocal duties on Pitch Black were performed by former WITCHTRAP vocalist Tolgahan, filling in for the temporarily absent Ozan Akyol, who, despite his absence from the recording, was nevertheless central to the composition and preparation of the album.

Having now returned to the band, Akyol, who, together with drummer Nursuz (ZIFIR) and guitarist Murat, founded Episode 13 in 2001, recently commented on the change in direction in an interview with Archaic Magazine:

"Tabula Rasa served us well as a way of introducing us to the scene, but with the passing years our main concern has been to be more true to ourselves with the new material. We think carefully about how we are evolving both as recording artists and live performers. It goes beyond what we play and how we play it: it involves the whole atmosphere we create around us. We know that those who have been following Episode 13 for a few years now perceive us in a certain way, but we can’t get stuck in other people’s perceptions. It’s essential to us that Episode 13 should progress in the way that feels right for us, even if that means upsetting a few people’s expectations. In all honesty, if we tried to be what others want us to be, we would not only be bored rigid, but we would fail to convince. It is manifestly important for us to believe in what we’re doing, and more so if we expect other people to believe in us”.

Pitch Black tracklisting: 'Misanthropy For The Beginners', 'Self Destruction', 'Pitch Black', 'War', 'Hate Universe', 'Torture Bleeding', 'Newborn Spy', 'Fleshlight', 'Die Again'

Work is currently underway on writing and preparation for the next Episode 13 album, which the band will be ready to start recording in early 2009. More information about Episode 13, together with tracks from Pitch Black can be found on the band’s MySpace page.

The video below is for the track 'Forlorn… Till Dawn', from the 2005 album Tabula Rasa.