Këkht Aräkh announces new album Morning Star
Incoming March 27 via Sacred Bones
First single "Three winters away" out now
Photo by Duran Levinson
Këkht Aräkh announces Morning Star, an album which finds him arriving at a truer, more refined version of himself. It will be released via Sacred Bones on March 27 [pre-order].
Recorded between Berlin and Stockholm, the album emerges from a period of intense personal and artistic growth, blending aggressive black metal passages with textured, immersive soundscapes that feel both intimate and vast. The lo-fi warmth of the tape Portastudio imbues the record with a tangible, analog immediacy, lending grit and character to every note while allowing drifting, melancholic melodies to linger.
Today, Këkht Aräkh shares the track "Three winters away" and the artist comments: "This song was written by me in 2024, while I was writing drafts that would eventually become the new album. I recorded all of the instruments myself except for the drums, which were recorded by my friend Jonathan (of Spira Me, Vanskapth, Olycka) in spring 2025, along with his drumming for all the other songs on the new album. The recordings took place between the cities of Berlin and Stockholm. The soundscape was shaped by VS--55 and Varg2™, who did the sound design / mastering on a tape Portastudio (for this song and for the whole upcoming record). The final mastering work was done by James Ginzburg (of Emptyset, Osmium)."
He continues: "The song’s lyrics show me reflecting on changes in my life since 2021, when my previous album Pale Swordsman was released, as well as reflecting on the passage of time and the changes it brings. That said, the meaning still stays very much open. “Three winters away from my old life I look back and I smile”, one line says. It doesn’t reveal whether those changes were for better or for worse. The following lyrics suggest doubt, leaving space for listeners to interpret the story in their own way."
Since its origins in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, Dmitry (a.k.a. Crying Orc), the sole mastermind behind the Këkht Aräkh project, has consistently sought to carve a distinctive path within black metal. Tracing back to 2014, his early experiments exposed the gaps he felt in the genre, culminating with his debut under the Këkht Aräkh moniker, Through the Branches to Eternity EP (2018), Night & Love (2018) and Pale Swordsman (2021), later reissued by Sacred Bones Records. Across these releases, Dmitry, now based in Berlin, established a signature contrast between ferocious, visceral black metal and delicate, introspective ballads: a dynamic that reaches new depth on Morning Star.
Reflecting on the creation of the album, Dmitry says: “This album was created at a point where I’m more skillful as an artist, with a much clearer sense of my own sound than in my earlier work. It explores a different emotional palette - rawer, more honest, and more personal. On this record, I feel more like myself than ever before.” The writing and recording process was not without its challenges: stress, anxiety, and long stretches of writer’s block shaped the music, giving it a rare vulnerability and immediacy.
Dmitry recorded nearly all instruments himself, with drums contributed by Jonathan (Spira Me, Vanskapth, Olycka). Bladee appears on “Eternal martyr”, adding his vocals and co-writing lyrics - a collaboration that may seem unlikely at first, yet reveals an intuitive chemistry. Both artists share a commitment to world-building, emotional directness and carving a singular path outside their respective genres. Despite their different genres, Dmitry has long admired Bladee’s introspective lyrical style and saw how it could translate into black metal without disrupting the genre. Bladee’s own interest in black metal created a natural space for collaboration, and the project grew organically from their shared fascination with bridging their musical worlds.
That spirit of unexpected yet natural synergy extends to the rest of the album’s collaborators. VS--55 and Varg2™ helped shape the record through abstract sampling and subtle textural design, giving Morning Star its distinctive grain and analog warmth. James Ginzburg (Emptyset, Osmium) completed the final mastering, enhancing its dynamic depth and atmospheric richness.
With Morning Star, Këkht Aräkh synthesizes past explorations with new collaborative energy, producing a record that honors 90s black metal tradition while embracing lo-fi warmth, sonic experimentation, and emotional candor. It is a deeply personal statement. It is an album that is both an arrival and a continuation of Këkht Aräkh’s artistic journey.
Morning Star, cover art:
Morning Star, track list:
- Wänderer
- Castle
- Lament
- Genom sorgen (ft. VS--55)
- Angest
- Mörker över mörker
- Three winters away
- Drömsång
- Raven king
- Vigil
- Eternal martyr (ft. Bladee)
- Trollsång (ft. Spöke)
- Land av evig natt l
- Land av evig natt ll
- Gates
- Morning star
- Outro (ft. Varg2™)
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