Batushka Announce New Album Hospodi

Secretive, occult(ish) black metallers Batushka have announced details of their second album Hospodi.

The album's title comes from the Old Church Slavonic word for 'God', and is the follow-up to 2015's groundbreaking debut Litourgiya.

“The whole album is a concept based on the Liturgy of Death, the prayers for the dead, and Orthodox funeral rites and dirges,” says the band. “It’s all about a ritual that involves the dead and the mourners. We also used a lot of old folk songs and elegies from our homeland. These are sung during the wake, around the casket, in the deceased person’s home. Nowadays only a few older people know them and still sing them accordingly in our region. We decided to cherish that tradition and I’m glad that with our album these songs and rites will survive.”

To mark the album announcement, Batushka have released the first of a five video series, based around the track Polunosznica.

Hospodi tracklisting:

Wozglas
Dziewiatyj Czas
Wieczernia
Powieczerje
Polunosznica
Utrenia
Pierwyj Czas
Tretij Czas
Szestoj Czas
Liturgiya

Hospodi will be released on July 12 through Metal Blade Records. Batushka are playing this year's Download festival in the UK on June 14-16 – get your tickets now.

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