Ukrainian blackened death/doom metal visionaries, 1914, continue to reflect the gruesome tales of World War I, its soldiers’ fate, their death, fear and feats to be never forgotten on their sinister third epos, Where Fear And Weapons Meet, out this Friday, October 22, via Napalm Records.

After smashing their massive first treat “...And a Cross Now Marks His Place”, feat. none other than Paradise Lost icon Nick Holmes, followed by scorching “Pillars Of Fire (The Battle of Messines)”, the Ukrainian WWI experts now reveal the secret of their third single, “FN .380 ACP#19074”, alongside a thrilling lyric video.

The track breaks in with a majestic yet intimidating orchestra, heavy guitar lines, thunderous black metal drumming like a blaze of gunfire and raw vocal power. It reflects the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife 1914 in Sarajevo, an event that caused the outbreak of World War I.

Ditmar Kumarberg comments: “This track marks the beginning of the entire conflict - the assassination of Franz Ferdinand - the event that triggered the conflict that had been brewing for the last 10 years. The royal houses of Europe wanted this war, it was inevitable - technical progress, territorial claims and dissatisfaction of people led to this. And so, the Yugoslav nationalist Gavrilo Princip fired the shots that launched the process. Two shots from a .380 ACP FN Model 1910 pistol numbered 19074, which changed the world forever, collapsed large empires and killed tens of millions of people."

1914 break into their third offering with the intro “War In”, summed up by final “War Out”, and immediately build a common thread to the previous records. “War In” is the original of the most famous Serbian song of the Great War period, “Tamo Daleko”. Like World War I, the album begins in Serbia and continues on the first track from the prospective of Gavrilo Princip, who assassinated Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife on June 28, 1914 in Sarajevo and caused the outbreak of World War I.

What happens next is an intense, in-depth analysis of historical events, for example – Battle of Vimy Ridge, shameful pages of the British Empire history in the track “Coward” featuring Sasha Boole (Me And That Man), The Battle of Messines on “Pillars of Fire” or the infantry regiment, the Harlem Hellfighters, on “Don’t Tread On Me”. Authentic forces like ambient sonic war samplings transport these stories even further into the present and make Where Fear And Weapons Meet another heavily intense and deep-reaching output that will grant 1914 even higher appreciation than the five-piece is already credited with.

1914 on the album: “Where Fear And Weapons Meet continues the theme we started on The Blind Leading the Blind - with one major difference: these are the stories about hope where most of our characters are staying alive, becoming heroes, and returning back to their homes. Yes, it is still about fear, death, and senselessness of war, but the hope is the only thing the soldier holds on to. And a good portion of luck as well. Even the album cover reflects this - the man lays wounded, bleeding in the trench, reaching his hand to Death begging for relieve, and Death declines to take him. He deserves to live.

"The album starts with the assassination in Sarajevo, leads you through the bloodiest moments of the Great War, and ends up with the monologue on a grave of a young man killed in his first battle. This time we did have even more hard digging into the historical background while making the tracks. We are not singing the songs, we are telling the stories!”

Where Fear And Weapons Meet will be available in the following formats:

- 1CD Digipack
- 2LP Gatefold Black incl. 12” booklet
- 2LP Gatefold Dark Green incl. 12” booklet (limited to 400 copies worldwide)
- 3LP Gatefold Marbled Red Transparent/Black (2LP Album incl. 12” booklet + 12" bonus LP + poster + patch - limited to 400 copies worldwide)
- Digital Album

Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

"War In"
"FN .380 ACP#19074"
"Vimy Ridge (In Memory of Filip Konowal)"
"Pillars of Fire (The Battle of Messines)"
"Don't Tread on Me (Harlem Hellfighters)"
"Coward" (feat. Sasha Boole)
"...And a Cross Now Marks His Place" (feat. Nick Holmes)
"Corps d'autos-canons-mitrailleuses (A.C.M)"
"Mit Gott für König und Vaterland"
"The Green Fields of France"
"War Out"

“Pillars Of Fire (The Battle Of Messines)” video:

"...And a Cross Now Marks His Place" (feat. Nick Holmes) lyric video:

1914 is:

9. Westpreußisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 176, Hptm. Ditmar Kumarberg - vocals
The 51st Highland Division, 1/9th Bn. 2Lt. Liam Fessen - guitar
307th Infantry Regiment, Capt. Walter Wyhovsky - guitar
Le 151e regiment d'infanterie, Cne. Armin d'Harcourt - bass
K.K. Landwehr-Infanterieregiment Lemberg Nr.19, Obltn. Rostislaw Potoplacht - drums

(Photo - May Lee)