California black metal band Sicarius do not sound happy on Serenade Of Slitting Throats, their debut full-length. The album, which follows up 2015 EP Scorch The Earth, is an intense example of powerful black metal, the band channelling all the appropriate sounds and vibes to create a black album worth spending some time with.

“It's definitely more mature than the EP,” says guitarist Argyris. “More focused. Scorch The Earth was my first attempt at writing music, and it shows. The EP, as well received as it was, felt more unruly and kind of all over the place. I'm still very proud of those songs, but Serenade Of Slitting Throats is a more refined and darker album than its predecessor. It's far more brooding and atmospheric in a way.”

When pressed on if the music comes from a place of anger—because it certainly sounds like it does—Argyris says that the band has “always been a manifestation of the most horrific shit humans do to each other.”

“We have always tapped into that dark carnal instinct when it comes to what inspires the music and lyrical content,” he says. “There is, without question, a lot of anger in there. From personal experiences, loss, hatred, violence... It's a collective input that we all pour ourselves into.”

And, clearly, with an album title like Serenade Of Slitting Throats, the band is tapping into that anger. When asked about the name, Argyris says he's “always been fascinated with death and murder” before elaborating further on the meaning behind the title.

“I don't know; it's always intrigued me,” he says about such morbid topics. “War and fighting had been a part of my past before starting Sicarius, so it kind of just comes out. The album title is a literal translation of the pleasant sound of someone's last gasp. That song's lyrics take the listener into the mind of a killer, and his love for his craft. There are plenty of lyrical examples I could pick out but one that stands out is the chorus—'I elevate higher with each life I take/The dried blood on my hands, a token to hold/to be one with the gods of murder and death/to slither in the shadows.' The protagonist—or should it be an antagonist?—loves what he does, and I think it's a vague metaphor for the love we have for this band, and the progress we've made, the work we've put in it, and the reputation we uphold.”

As for what came next, the young band had an album release show at Viper Room in LA on October 10th—three days before the album dropped—with Ancestral Awakening, Witch Casket, and Conjuror. 

“We're going to be getting our name out there, and promoting this album,” says Argyris. “We have a west coast tour in its planning phase currently, and from there, who knows? Hopefully we find ourselves on a national tour, maybe even international. We are ready.”