After years of self-imposed exile, the black metal monsters known as Sons of Balaur have returned to release a fury of death and blood. This band is about as dedicated to the dark arts as Voldemort, and Tenebris Deos, is a really testament of that. As fans of vampire-infused black metal, we’re proud to be premiering the track “Old Relics.” This stuff will make your ears bleed (in a good way).

As you can hear from the track, Sons of Balaur play vicious and ugly metal, music filled with rage and brutality. This is just a taste of what you can expect from Tenebris Deos, an album 15 years in the making. It’s probably safe to say that no other band takes this stuff as seriously as Sons of Balaur. How serious, you ask? Well, when we asked band member Tomas about “Old Relics,” this is what he told us via email.

“Unholy salutations mortal scum! On this long-awaited day we finally release the first track from our highly-anticipated album, Tenebris Deos. The track is titled “Old Relics”, and it is a savage song about the religious fanatic and acclaimed Vampire Hunter Van Helsing. He is the enemy of all Vampires and the only one aside from Vampire Lord Athena capable of defeating our Dark Lord Balaur. He is a relic of a forgotten time, when humans ruled the earth, when mortal men were strong enough to defend themselves from the Vampires. Van Helsing is the last part of that forgotten age, he is a relic but one to be feared. Van Helsing must die! Hail Balaur.”

So yeah, these guys don’t f**k around. If you read all this and are wondering “who the hell is Balur?” don’t worry, you’re covered there, too. Realm of the Damned is a graphic novel that will clue you into the mythos of Balaur, The Nameless, and Van Helsing. We’ve had the pleasure of reading it and can tell you it’s gorgeously illustrated and wonderfully demented. Like the band, it’s violent, ugly, and brutal. Sons of Balaur give you lots to dig into, and it’s all great.

Listen to “Old Relics” above and if you dig what you hear, go pre-order the album from Season of Mist. Trusts us, the whole thing is rad. It’s epic black metal with a fantastically rich history. Few bands have such a legacy before their first full length album even hits, but Sons of Balaur are not like other bands. Not at all.

Tenebris Deos Track Listing

1. Invocation
2. Prologue
3. Old Relics
4. Succubus Slut
5. The Curse Of Bloodlust
6. The Nameless Roams The Earth
7. Van Helsing Must Die
8. Balaur’s Rise
9. Athena Bitch Betrayer
10. Soldiers Of Darkness
11. Nemetari The Desert Queen

Images: Sons of Balaur/Season of Mist