ARD Untouched By Fire

Arð come from Northumbria. With their long-awaited second album "Untouched by Fire", the inventors of Monastic Doom Metal are setting another impressive milestone on the path to their rapid rise. Band leader Mark Deeks reaches new heights both musically and lyrically. Arð continue their mission to explore the culture, heritage and identity of the ancient northern English region of Northumbria. The debut album "Take Up My Bones" followed the legends and century of migration of the relics of Saint Cuthbert of Lindisfarne (634-687). The story of the new album highlights a completely different kind of saint. Arð tell of the warrior king Oswald (604-642), who forged Northumbria with fire and sword by uniting the kingdoms of Bernicia and Deira. His contemporaries, even in the Frankish Empire, saw Oswald as the most powerful Anglo-Saxon king on the island. Arð traces his rise to power with "Untouched by Fire". The journey begins with his youth in exile. Due to a family feud, his mother had fled north to the Irish power center of Dal Riada on the west coast of Scotland. Oswald's path continues through victorious battles in which Oswald regained the territories that his father Æthelfrith had already claimed. The end result is the founding of the Kingdom of Northumbria. Musically, Arð remain true to their original Doom course. The characteristic, style-defining "monk choirs" are still strongly present, as you would expect from a musician who, in addition to being a best-selling author, piano teacher and keyboard player with the leading British black metal band WINTERFYLLETH, is also a choir arranger and -Conductor works. But Deeks also enriches his doom metal with new elements, such as well-placed prog moments scattered throughout the album. The compositions on "Untouched by Fire" reflect the band leader's growing experience on stage and the self-confidence he has gained in the form of concentrated songwriting and greater dynamics. This development is made clear by the powerful and organic production of Markus Stock (EMPYRIUM, THE VISION BLEAK) - as Arð recorded the album in Klangschmiede Studio E. When Deeks founded Arð in 2019, the composer never dared to imagine what would happen in the coming years. His demos soon earned him a record deal and the first edition of his debut album "Take Up My Bones" (2022) was sold out before the album hit stores. Several editions followed and all limited editions were quickly sold out. The band's first performances, for example at the Prophecy Fest in Balve, spread Arð's reputation as an excellent live act through word of mouth like wildfire. The band was not only celebrated in the worldwide metal and music press, but even landed on German state television, was interviewed by the renowned British newspaper The Guardian and mentioned in the BBC and other British media with their special "Organic Doom" concert - for the Deeks had rearranged pieces from "Take Up My Bones" to be played with a band and a real organ in Huddersfield. This concert can be found in its entirety on CD and DVD in the limited Artbook Edition. With the second album "Untouched by Fire", Arð raises their own bar several levels higher. Perfectly arranged Monastic Doom songs with high dynamics and genuine songwriting find their counterpart in an opulent production. It's time to close your eyes and let Arð take you from Northumbria to a time when Germanic warrior kings created new empires with sword and fire and a new god to help them win. A bloody feast for the ravens, a treasure of gold for the ears!