Emerging from the shadows of eastern Poland back in 2015, black metal band Batushka have established themselves as one of the modern era's most powerful and evocative bands. Harnessing the fire and fury of arcane black metal and channeling it through the reverberant grandeur of ancient rituals of worship, the band's debut album Litourgiya stood apart from the extreme metal hordes: a monument to originality, depth and dark mysticism that swiftly cast its spell over the metal underground and beyond. 

The band will release its sophomore album Hospodi through Metal Blade Records on July 12th.

Named after an Old Church Slavonic word for "God," Hospodi enhances all the unique qualities that made the band such an instant phenomenon, while offering an entirely distinct and fresh sensory experience. The album boasts the most ferocious and bewitching songs the band has penned to date - along with a newfound sense of rock swagger. 

The band has shared the first new track and video for "Polunoszcznica."

Fiercely conceived and audaciously executed, Hospodi takes the epoch-shattering essence of Batushka's debut to a new level of idiosyncratic intensity. From the mesmerizing chants of the opening "Wozglas" to the blazing bombast of "Dziewiatyj Czas" and the pulsing, dark rock melodrama of "Wieczernia," this is an album full of wildly dynamic, divergent moments, wherein the band's otherworldly, inspirational fervor meets the whip-crack precision of 21st century brutality. Perhaps most importantly, Batushka's deft conjuring of religion's synaptic shock 'n' awe looms large over every scything riff and bellicose scream. By the time fans reach the overpowering climax of the closing Liturgiya, a true Damascene conversion is practically guaranteed. 

"The whole album is a concept based on the Liturgy Of Death, the prayers for the dead, and Orthodox funeral rites and dirges," said the band. "It's all about a ritual that involves the dead and the mourners. We also used a lot of old folk songs and elegies from our homeland. These are sung during the wake, around the casket, in the deceased person's home. Nowadays only a few older people know them and still sing them accordingly in our region. We decided to cherish that tradition and I'm glad that with our album these songs and rites will survive."

Find preorder options here.

Hospodi will be available in several configurations, listed below: 
-Limited edition digibook CD
-Deluxe box set (wooden box, digibook CD, clear/black marbled vinyl, DVD, hard cover book, incense box, candles, pin, guitar pick - limited to 800 copies) 
-Deluxe box set (EU Webshop exclusive - wooden box, digibook CD, blood splatter vinyl, DVD, hard cover book, incense box, candles, pin, guitar pick - limited to 200 copies) 
-180g black vinyl (EU exclusive) 
-Amber marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 500 copies) 
-Dead gold marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 300 copies) 
-Blood-red black marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies) 
-Clear/red/black splatter vinyl (EU Webshop exclusive - limited to 100 copies) 
-Gold / black split vinyl (US retail exclusive - 500 copies) 
-Cream w/ black splatter vinyl (US webstore exclusive - 500 copies) 
-Black w/ gold haze vinyl (US webstore exclusive - 500 copies)

Tracklisting:

“Wozglas”
“Dziewiatyj Czas”
“Wieczernia”
“Powieczerje”
“Polunosnica”
“Utrenia”
“Pierwyj Czas”
“Tretij Czas”
“Szestoj Czas”
“Liturgiya”

“Polunosznica” video: