Polish black metal icons Patriarkh (formerly Batushka) return with a clear and fresh vision as they unveil their new concept album, ПРОРОК ИЛИЯ (Lat. PROROK ILJA), out on January 3. The Napalm Records debut unveils eight new compositions and immerses the listener in the true story of Eliasz Klimowicz, the titular Prophet Ilja, set in the 1930s and 40s. Following the success of their critically acclaimed album, Hospodi (2019), and relentless touring around the globe, the new band looks towards a bright future! Firmly grounded in Eastern Orthodox traditions and music, Patriarkh blends black and doom metal with haunting, dark religious concepts.
Today, Patriarkh unveils their first single, “ВЕРШАЛИН III” (Lat. WIERSZALIN III), accompanied by a visually striking official music video, capturing an Orthodox mass. “ВЕРШАЛИН III” showcases the band's signature blend of Orthodox sacredness with melodic folk instruments, infused with towering doom metal elements in which harsh vocals unite with rising choirs (featuring A. Strug & M. Maleńczuk). This crushing, colossal-sounding blend creates an instantly distinctive sonic experience.
Patriarkh on the new single “ВЕРШАЛИН III”: “‘WIERSZALIN III’ is the first single that announces our new release PROROK ILJA (Lat.) and it probably best reflects the diversity and musical multidimensionality of this album. Just as the titular Prophet Ilja built New Jerusalem in Podlasie, we are building our new identity and showing our new musical face. Listen and share your impressions…“
Check out the official music video for “ВЕРШАЛИН III” (Lat. WIERSZALIN III) below.
ПРОРОК ИЛИЯ details a true story that happened in the band’s home area of Podlasie, in the village of Grzybowszczyzna, in the 1930s and 40s. The album takes the listener into the world of Eliasz Klimowicz, the titular Prophet Ilja, an illiterate peasant who was the leader of the Orthodox Grzybowska Sect, active until the 1960s, cultivating and transmitting the history of the self-proclaimed prophet. Patriarkh spread their gospel by using an arsenal of folk instruments, such as tagelharpa, mandolin, mandocello, hurdy gurdy and stringed dulcimer, and worked with a symphony orchestra and choirs to give their new creations the most organic and vivid feeling possible. As is trademark with Patriarkh’s music, Orthodox sacredness is mixed with black and doom metal, now largely enriched with folk music, neo dark folk, and even film music. The band utilizes the entire palette of Orthodox music, venturing into the areas of Byzantine monody, liturgical chant and Russian polyphony, neatly adapting folk and liturgical melodies to their own style.
Patriarkh on the new album: “With this new release, we are starting a new chapter in our history - not only is our name changing, but our music is also undergoing a natural evolution. The story on the album encouraged us to get out of our comfort zone, we reached for means that we had not used before in our music. Many of you will wonder if this is still black metal? Or is it even metal? Radio play, audiobook, theater, film soundtrack, folk music, performance... All these terms will fit here. Some will hate, others will love...”
The lyrical side of ПРОРОК ИЛИЯ is an interesting mix of theater and pastoralism. Patriarkh uses fragments of texts from the theater play "Prorok Ilja" and draws from the messages contained in the works of Włodzimierz Pawluczuk, combining it with folk and liturgical texts. On ПРОРОК ИЛИЯ, listeners can hear various languages – and Polish for the first time ever! The album was recorded in January and May 2024 at Tall Pine Records (Behemoth, Zalewski, Afromental), Heinrich House (Behemoth, Vesania, Hate), Wem Studio (Kasa Chorych, Lukasyno, Cira) and Radio Białystok studio. Mixing and mastering was handled by Wojciech Wiesławski at Hertz Studio (Vader, Behemoth, Decapitated), and production was helmed by band mastermind and leading vocalist Bartłomiej "Варфоломей" Krysiuk. “ПРОРОК ИЛИЯ is an album full of emotions, sentimentalism and folklore. It’s pastoral, lyrical, epic, multidimensional and multicolored, just like my Podlasie is multicolored,” says Варфоломей. Dive into the deepest of all shadows with this black metal masterpiece and join Patriarkh on this intriguing ride!
ПРОРОК ИЛИЯ will be available in the following formats:
- Wooden Box (Digipak, bonus CD, pendant, flag & patch) - 300 copies (Napalm Records Mailorder and Patriarkh Shop exclusive)
- Deluxe 2LP GATEFOLD GOLD Vinyl (Alternative album cover artwork, bonus vinyl, & 24pp vinyl booklet) - 300 copies (Napalm - Records Mailorder and Patriarkh Shop exclusive)
- 1LP GATEFOLD SILVER Vinyl - 300 copies (Napalm Records Mailorder exclusive)
- 1LP GATEFOLD MARBLED ORANGE RED BLACK Vinyl - 300 copies (Napalm Records Mailorder exclusive)
- 1LP Gatefold in Black Vinyl
- 6 Page Digipak
- Digital Album
Pre-order here.
Tracklisting:
"WIERSZALIN I (Lat.) - ВЕРШАЛИН I (Cyrillic)"
"WIERSZALIN II (Lat.) - ВЕРШАЛИН II (Cyrillic)"
"WIERSZALIN III (Lat.) - ВЕРШАЛИН III (Cyrillic)"
"WIERSZALIN IV (Lat.) - ВЕРШАЛИН IV (Cyrillic)"
"WIERSZALIN V (Lat.) - ВЕРШАЛИН V (Cyrillic)"
"WIERSZALIN VI (Lat.) - ВЕРШАЛИН VI (Cyrillic)"
"WIERSZALIN VII (Lat.) - ВЕРШАЛИН VII (Cyrillic)"
"WIERSZALIN VIII (Lat.) - ВЕРШАЛИН VIII (Cyrillic)"
Patriarkh are:
ВАРФОЛОМИЕЙ – Vocals
ЛЕХ - Drums
МОНАХ ТАРЛАХАН - Guitars
МОНАХ БОРУТА - Guitars
АРХАНГЕЛ МИХАИЛ - Guitars
ХИАЦЫНТОС ЯЦА - Choir
ЯЗЫЧНИК – Choir
(Photo - Jacek Jaca Wisniewsky)
