Damnatio Memoriae Worldwide Release Date: February 23, 2018
Pre-Order Now via Bandcamp
Featuring Guest Members from Obscura, Marduk & More | Mixed by Daniel Bergstrand
Lebanese extreme death metal band KAOTEON will release their pummeling new full-length album, Damnatio Memoriae, featuring bass wizard Linus Klausenitzer of Obscura and drum master Fredrik Widigs of Marduk as special guests, on February 23, 2018. Today, in celebration of the impending release, KAOTEON is streaming the entire album in partnership with Noisey. Stream Damnatio Memoriae and read an in-depth interview with the band here: https://noisey.vice.com/en_us/article/d3wy5a/kaoteon-want-to-smash-middle-eastern-metal-stereotypes
Anthony Kaoteon tells Noisey: “On the first album I wanted the riffs to be direct and in-your-face. Even when I was playing melodies, in the background was blood, fire and death, because that’s our background; growing up there would be planes flying overhead, bombs and explosions. I was dead, but now I’m out of the coffin and facing the world with a better view.”
Like what you hear? Check out a guitar playthrough of the track “Raging Hellfire”, featuring guitarist Anthony Kaoteon, here: https://youtu.be/BrX_gOBxMc4
“Kaoteon are as metal as you can get.”
– Metal Hammer
“Death and black metal influences still feature heavily in the mix, but new elements have also begun to creep in which suggest exciting new sonic avenues. The title track introduces a sense of the epic thanks to its decidedly 80s heavy metal histrionics, while the proggy, intricate guitar-work of “A Breath” suggests whole new musical realms entirely.”
– Noisey
“Fans of Behemoth, Marduk (who share drummer Fredrik Widigs with Kaoteon!), Watain and the like should have no problems whatsoever getting into the band’s groovy, atmospheric, frosty death metal attack.”
– MetalSucks
“…a tortured slab of black metal, cold and violent at the same time it is technical and cleanly executed.”
– Decibel, referring to “Barren Lands”
“…combines a lot of atmospheric black metal elements with a more devastating death metal style into one crushing package.”
– Metal Injection
“The band sounds stronger than ever… sure to make you raise those metal horns up right from the get go… Kaoteon have released a worthy successor of their debut.”
– Metal Wani
“It’s the little things that allow Damnatio Memoriae to stand out. Excellent bass and vocal performances alongside a strong production make for a blistering effort…”
– Dead Rhetoric
KAOTEON is an unusual east-west international extreme metal collaboration, originally hailing from the Middle East but now based in Amsterdam. KAOTEON fled their native Lebanon after the release of their debut 2011 full-length, Veni Vidi Vomui, due to facing censorship at its highest levels for simply being a metal band. They have been put in jail for devil worshipping, attacked by religious groups, and raided several times by police trying to use them as scapegoats to mask political and religious problems in the region. It’s a terrifying but enthrallingly honest story of a metal band trying to exist, succeed and break out of the Middle East.
Damnatio Memoriae succeeds at portraying the band’s justified “f*ck-the-world” outlook with nine poisonous tracks that brim with exhilarating magnetism and needle-sharp riffing. The album was self-recorded by KAOTEON, with mixing and mastering credited to renowned Swedish producer Daniel Bergstrand, who is recognized for his celebrated work with bands such as Behemoth, Dark Funeral, Dimmu Borgir and many more of today’s top metal artists.
Damnatio Memoriae track listing:
1. Damnatio Memoriae
2. Barren Lands
3. Raging HellFire
4. Venom of Exalt
5. The Will
6. Non Serviam
7. Light of Compassion
8. Into the Mouth of Kaos
9. A Breath
KAOTEON online:
Anthony and Walid, full time members of KAOTEON
