Taiwanese symphonic black metal band CHTHONIC have issued the following update:

"ChthoniC’s new promo photo was disclosed recently, and the new look had the internet abuzz. Today, the Taiwanese band officially reveals their new style in a promo photo on their official websites.

The inspiration for the new style comes from Taoist magic figures of folklore and the types of facial masks they wore, like “Kuan-Jiang-Shoe”, who is the ancient general in folk march.

After the Farewell To The Old Style concert on May 23rd, Taiwan’s metal warriors ChthoniC invented their new look according to traditional “Taoist curse words” to replace the original black lines on their faces. This was done to create their own unique style based on their own culture and characteristics. A video from the Farewell To The Old Style concert is available below.

Keyboard player C.J. was extremely satisfied with his new “face” because according to him: “I don’t need to do any more make-up before a performance!”

ChthoniC vocalist Freddy also explained: “The facial mask of ‘Ba-Jia-Jiang’ and ‘Kuan-Jiang-Shoe’ were always the main inspiration for our look. I also customized a row of big fangs according to ‘Kuan-Jian-Shoe’’s face. It will be great to put them on when performing on-stage.”

Don’t call them ‘black metal’: ChthoniC have invented their own unique metal genre.

Band spokesperson and bassist Doris said: “Even though ChthoniC was inspired by European black metal early on in the band’s history, over the past 10 years, all of the album stories were based on Taiwanese myth or history. Musically, we combine metal with traditional local melody and East-Asia’s pentatonic melodies. It’s very different from typical black metal bands that describe themselves as ‘Anti-Christ’ or ‘Satan/demon worshippers’...etc. Some critics were trying to categorize ChthoniC as death metal or folk metal, but those words can’t accurately describe the true style of ChthoniC.”

Their new label, Spinefarm Records, noticed that ChthoniC’s music has not only the elements of mysterious, wrath, evil, but also a sorrowful emotion. ChthoniC’s stories all end in tragedy, and which brings out a brand new listening experience for metal heads all over the world.

ChthoniC’s newest album, Mirror of Retribution, streets August 18th in the US on Spinefarm Records.

More on the band at their MySpace page.