Anticipating the release of their ambitious sophomore album Of Campfires And Evening Mists on May 27th, black metallers Old Corpse Road have unleashed their first single “Herne Of Windsor Forest” in the form of a verdant, haunting lyric video. Drawing on their interest in British tales and nature, the track summons you to Berkshire’s Windsor Woods where the antlered ghost of Herne looms.

“We chose to open the song opens with several lines from the ‘Merry Wives of Windsor’ by William Shakespeare, as a nod to our literary heritage. With his antlered head, Herne stands as a strong and identifiable British figure; a prime reason for selecting this legendary tale. We did not want to simply re-tell his story, but rather take an atmospheric and poetic approach as if spoken from the perspective of Herne himself, painting a serene and ethereal image of a haunted Windsor forest” – The Dreamer, Drums

The Old Corpse Road is a bleak, barren crossing at the isolated hamlet of Swindale Head in the Lake District. Despite having a local church, there was no cemetery in the town until the 1700s, so the road was frequently used as vessel for carts to transport bodies to the nearest town with a graveyard. Fusing this macabre history with the solitary and archaic landscapes around them, Durham quintet Old Corpse Road create haunting, sophisticated, melodic black metal based on English Folklore.

Drummer The Dreamer comments:

“Old Corpse Road are proud to announce our induction into the resurrected Cacophonous coven. The dedication and support from a legendary label who brought the world bands such as Bal-Sagoth, Cradle Of Filth and Dimmu Borgir is incredible. For Cacophonous to have faith in our vision and music is a humbling experience. It is a great honour for the Old Corpse Road moniker to sit alongside many of the bands that inspired our journey. We can't think of a better home for our opus Of Campfires And Evening Mists and we hope our partnership with Cacophonous proves to only strengthen the burgeoning UK black metal scene.

"Old Corpse Road" lyric video:

 
"We are fired up and ready to unleash our second album, Of Campfires And Evening Mists album has been a long time project, and is a work of blood, sweat and determination. The band has worked tirelessly to make sure that every aspect of the album, from the artwork to the music, represents our darkened take on British folklore in its purest form. The music flows from fierce black metal through to powerful melodic passages and onto serene yet haunting moments. We have taken time to fully explore the moods and themes of each story, leading to long but enthralling songs.”

"Following 2012’s debut album 'Tis Witching Hour which focused on the dark and gothic, the new album sees a natural progression to a more illuminating album. Initially inspired by a Wiccan gathering, Old Corpse Road use the principle of the druid rites to conjure images of gathering in the Autumnal wilderness, sharing old tales. The album is broken into three parts; The Opening of the Circle, where story tellers and listeners gather, The Rite where tales of legends, which were carefully selected by the band to suit the atmosphere of the album, are told, and lastly The Closing of the Circle, where storytellers bid farewell to those gathered. 

With their own creative twist on black metal, Old Corpse Road are pushing the boundaries in extreme music. Tour dates are to be announced soon.