Dark proggers, Crippled Black Phoenix, have announced they will release their new studio effort, Ellengæst, via Season Of Mist on October 9. New music and the pre-order kick off will be shared on July 28.

Ellengæst was recorded with a core lineup of founder and main songwriter Justin Greaves, vocalist Belinda Kordic, guitarist Andy Taylor and multi-instrumentalist Helen Stanley. The band have utilized a variety of guest vocalists.

Anathema singer Vincent Cavanagh heads an impressive list of guest vocalists, which also features Gaahl (Gaahls Wyrd, ex-Gorgoroth), Australian singer and guitarist Suzie Stapleton, Ryan Patterson (of US punk rockers Coliseum, Fotocrime) and Jonathan Hultén (Tribolation).

"This album was recorded at the end of last year so we’re super excited to finally let it go free into the world, it feels like it’s a new age for CBP, we’re embracing the change," explains CBP mainman Justine Greaves. "The songs are a collection of thoughts and feelings which all relate to how we exist in the world but also it’s about crossing into the other dimensions, how we all have spirits and demons, how we can be strong and also weak. How we miss loved ones and also lament the human race. The artwork by Thana really expresses the theme of the album, it visualises the spiritual aspect of Ellengæst perfectly. There’s an atmosphere about it which draws you in."

Mastermind Justin Greaves comments on the collaborations: “It’s been such a pleasure to work with some very fine friends on this album, lending their amazing vocal talents to give life to some music. It was important to us to do something meaningful, only inviting friends who we or I have connection with.Doing a couple of tracks with Vincent was a no-brainer, after we got chance to spend some time together when we played in Poland, it was clear that we would do something. We had such a laugh, and also at the studio, we enjoyed it so much because it was so relaxed and natural.

"Getting to know Gaahl on a personal level has been a great journey, touring with him several times now has given us the chance to have those late night conversations. I can’t remember how it came up but this song seemed appropriate for him to sing with Belinda on. I definitely thought it would be good to do a slow melancholy song and the result proves Gaahl is a man of many hidden sides.

"Ryan now feels like part of the extended CBP family after he kindly stepped in on bass on our Great Escape tour, pulling double duties every night with his own solo band Fotocrime. So I really wanted to come together again to do something righteous in music that will live forever. He sings about his beloved cat Willie who sadly passed away, and at the same time we lost one of our cat family, Nell, and more recently our old dude cat Tigger left us too. So this song means so much to all of us and Ryan expressed that so perfectly in a way we (Belinda and myself) can relate to.

"I connected with Suzie when we did a song on the Jeffery Lee Pierce Project album, one which we did the music and Suzie sang on it along with Tony Chmelik (Cypress Grove) and Mark Lanegan. So it was really cool to connect once again on this album, she came and sang along with Ryan and also did some wicked guitar too! She’s definitely a like-minded soul so it worked really well.

"Jonathan joined us for a tour performing his solo music, it was a treat for us to witness him every night. We got along very well and we had such a chill tour, also with Earth Electric who were on that one too. Then I spent a long tour with his band Tribulation when they toured with Gaahls WYRD, and we had a connection which led to us working together on “The Invisible Past”. Jonathan is just simply the perfect voice for that song, it’s not an easy song to sing on, but he treated it so well and gives it the magic vibe it was waiting for.

"Also joining the CBP core-members Belinda, Helen, Andy and myself, our (now-ex) longtime live drummer Ben Wilsker did drums on “Everything I Say” and “She’s In Parties”. And our CBP family member Rob Al-Issa (who was also my Electric Wizard bandmate) played bass parts across the album. Always a pleasure and a blast to have those guys along with us”

Crippled Black Phoenix are no strangers to adversity, making the events surrounding the creation of Ellengæst yet another roadblock for a band whose very existence has been threatened on more than a few occasions. Their unique setup and stubborn refusal to bow to musical norms may confuse the casual music consumer. However, the core of Crippled Black Phoenix - Greaves, Kordic, Taylor and Stanley - thrives on the unconventional, remaining steadfastly singular and undefinable. Accordingly, Greaves believes this incarnation of Crippled Black Phoenix is the strongest to date. All it took was another dramatic sea-change to prove it.

New music from Ellengæst and pre-orders will be released on July 28. The album title means “mischievous demon" in Olde English but in Scandinavian as “strong spirit,” represents Crippled Black Phoenix’s duality. “It comes from the same place, but with different connotations,” says Greaves. “That’s this band in a nutshell. We’ve had to stay strong because of all the bullshit we’ve encountered, yet we’re still going and subversive. It’s like we’re giving kids candy with razor blades in them.”