UK black metal patriarch, Reign A.D. returns to blistering form with ‘Give No Quarter’. A Long Play offering of eight ferocious odes to passion and love lost.
Releasing March 22nd.
Available worldwide via Phantom Lure & Divine Gnosis.
After a brief hiatus, the artist has re-emerged to share his unrelenting, principal single ‘Hellbound’. A kinetic, fast paced sojourn through the fires of hell and back. Casting the listener into a gamut of blast beats, soaring guitar lines and blackened melodicism. Distilling the cold, aggressive essence of black metal, whilst defiantly raising a glass to the time-honoured tradition of song-craft.
“Hellbound' sets the pace for the album. Which is to say, it’s quite unrelenting. Things kick up a gear on the unceasing aggression of ‘Retreat Ever Inward’. Things ease up (ever so) slightly on goth-tinged-anthem ‘A Wraith, I Stalk the Night’. Before the listener is thrown into the swaggering stadium rock paradigm of ' My Violence Shall Caress' (complete with guitar solo). Which, while by no means tame, serves as a very brief moment of respite before the listener is forced to yield, to the unapologetic onslaught of titular track ‘Give No Quarter'. The unpredictability doesn't end here though. With 'The Precipice' Reign A.D. leaps nimbly through a concoction of frenetic blast beats, hulking choruses and mind bending arpeggios. 'Let Your Arrows Fly' up's the... dare I say it... emo sensibilities of the artist. Featuring some of the more dynamic and upbeat moments of the album. If the penultimate track ups the emo sensibilities, the Finale 'The Wings of Desire' dials up the punk and whips it into a blender of anthemic choruses and clever twists and turns as it propels the listener into the emotional climax of the album.
REIGN A.D.
Presents
Reign A.D. is a one man black metal artist from the UK. Performing a visceral, adrenalised take on the genre. Often disregarding 'well worn' tropes, favouring a traditional approach to song-craft and melodicism. 2023 saw the release of 'The Mountain Peaks of Prophecy' released on Repose Records. Demonstrating a more progressive, nuanced side to the project. In 2024, Reign A.D. ventured even further, performing a series of acoustic covers of previously recorded material, released through Divine Gnosis/ Black Occult prod. Receiving a surge of new listeners from outside of their traditional underground fanbase.
Short Bio (<100 words)
Reign A.D. is the fierce, esoteric and grandiose manifestation of reclusive, solitary member NM. Who has been casting a steady, vivid and hypnotic spell over the British black metal scene, since 2019. With a combination of flamboyant, eye-catching visuals and genre-hopping bombast. The project has managed to build a small, but dedicated international following.
Having released a steady stream of promising material
Give No Quarter is the most fast-paced and visceral offering in the bands arsenal, to date. And marks a welcome return to the more traditional, hard-edged song craft of the project’s sophomore release ‘Anti-Human’. This time, with upgrades in the songwriting, production and visuals. Allowing Reign A.D. to present a much more concise, “true to vision” offering.
Reign A.D. is black metal for ‘The aristocrat of the soul. Imparting layer upon layer of deceptively intelligent song-craft, with an emphasis on powerful dynamics, elegant form and lyricism. Producing melodic ear worms that could contend with some of the best in (and outside) the genre.
Bio
Press Photos
