Candlelight Records has announced the worldwide signing of Italian extreme metal stalwarts, Blasphemer. The group's third album, The Sixth Hour, will be released worldwide on January 24. Pre-order here, and watch a video for the song "The Deposition" below.

"The unholy crusaders have found their vexil: the phoenix. Blasphemer's third opus will see the light under the Candlelight Records banner," the band says.

The Sixth Hour showcases 12 songs of pure blackened-death metal, mastered at the famous studio Hertz in Poland, known for its work with Behemoth, Decapitated, and Vader. Fundamentally a concept album,The Sixth Hour's main theme is the way of the cross - the last day of Jesus Christ and the path that led him from the Gethsemane to Golgotha. The aim of the album is to depict Jesus as merely human, trying to transpose into music the agony he felt on the last day.

Blasphemer emerged from the underground in 1998, when they were founded in Italy by Simone Brigo (also of Beheasded). They have since toured Europe and US countless times, playing many festivals and shows all over the world. The band released On the Inexistence Of God in 2008 and the Devouring Deception EP in 2010 - both through the renowned US-based label Comatose Music.

In 2013, the band became quiescent, eventually coming back to the scene with the release of sophomore album Ritual Theophagy (Comatose Music, 2016), featuring Darren Cesca (Deeds Of Flesh, Arsis, Goratory) on drums. 2017 was the year of rebirth for Blasphemer: a new lineup and a different sound that incorporated more black metal influences. In June, a promo song was released, "Jesus Is Stripped Of His Garments" and was eventually issued in early 2019 on a split with Neocaesar, featuring former members of early Sinister.

 

Tracklisting:

"Let Him Be Crucified"
"Hail King Of The Jews"!
"The Stumbling Block"
"Stabat Mater"
"Blessed Are The Wombs That Neve"
"Lord Of Lies"
"Via Dolorosa"
"The Robe Of Mockery"
" I.N.R.I."
"The Sixth Hour"
"The Deposition"
 "De Profundis"

"The Deposition" video: