Norwegian black metal titans 1349 return with The Wolf and The King, a blistering new album that sees them carving deeper into the genre’s dark heart. With eight tracks of unrelenting ferocity, the band continues their mission to preserve the essence of black metal, a vision shaped by their distaste for the genre’s mid-'90s drift. As vocalist Ravn recalls, “It started losing everything that I liked about black metal - the grimness, the eeriness, the primal emotions... You had all these synthesizer-based bands dressing up in pirate shirts and looking like goths. It ruined something that I truly hold close to my heart.”

Formed in 1997 to reclaim black metal’s raw, primordial spirit, 1349 have been relentless in their quest. “We wanted to bring back the trademark of Norwegian black metal, as it was presented in the early '90s. Every time we release an album, that’s the inspiration and the backdrop,” Ravn explains. With The Wolf and The King, 1349 channels the same fury that fueled the second wave of black metal, infusing it with apocalyptic themes and ancient mysticism.

The album’s title is rooted in an alchemical allegory - “A wolf devours a king. Then the wolf is devoured by flames, and a new king rises from the ashes.” Ravn digs deeper into the metaphor, noting, “What you’re turning into gold is metaphorical. It’s about personal development... If you don’t do that, you will die. You will not rise from the ashes.”

“Ash of Ages” pulls no punches, blending thrash elements with black metal’s signature chaos, while grappling with ancient cataclysms and humanity’s insignificance. “To think that you’re important, that you’re anything but an ant down there, is futile,” Ravn points out. “In the end, everything will be washed away, and nothing will be left.”

Other tracks like “The God Devourer” and “Shadow Point” embody the album’s themes of destruction and rebirth. “The God Devourer,” for example, explores the alchemical principle of eliminating obstacles to self-betterment, setting a foreboding tone for the record. Meanwhile, “Shadow Point” taps into the cosmic power of the Star of Algol - “the Demon Star” - a celestial symbol of destruction and regeneration.

Produced by Ravn and Jarrett Pritchard, and featuring artwork by Jordan Barlow, the album is a masterwork of sonic devastation. Barlow’s artwork, filled with references to infinity and alchemical symbols, reflects the depth and complexity of the album’s narrative. As Ravn puts it, “We all work together to make the best black metal possible every time we release an album. This is our common goal. We’re a band on a mission.”