Formicarius

It’s worth remembering, yet all too easy to forget, that Black Metal was spawned in Britain, in the industrial north of England, not in a forest by an icy fjord. But as the ‘80s faded away and the ‘90s began the Scandinavian hordes laid claim to this darkest of musical forms, asserting their dominance with unassailable might.

Now, Formicarius comes to the fray: a band whose breathtakingly bold intent is to recapture the throne. They have already given fair warning with the release of the digital single ‘Lake Of The Dead’ truly have planting their standard on the field of battle and howled out a challenge to all who dare to face them.

Although the name of Formicarius may be a new one, the fiends that lurk behind it have plenty of experience to draw on – with members of De Profundis, Phyrexia and Premature Birth in the shadowed ranks – and all that experience is readily apparent in the ferocious adrenaline rush of ‘Lake Of The Dead’ and in their heart-stopping live performances – a real white-knuckle ride of terrifying intensity.

In late 2016 Formicarius took a huge step forward in their quest to claim the throne of British black metal, appearing on the compilation album SPEED KILLS VII that heralded the rebirth of the great Music For Nations label, now under the Sony umbrella. The original SPEED KILLS albums helped introduce a generation to the groundbreaking sounds of METALLICA, SLAYER, ANTHRAX, BATHORY, SODOM, MEGADETH and many more pioneers of metallic extremity. This latest instalment in the series shines a spotlight on the cream of British underground talent; featuring established names like ACID REIGN and AKERCOCKE alongside fierce new acts like VOICES, THE KING IS BLIND and of course, Formicarius themselves.
Their aims may be grand in scope and scale, their ambitions may seem mountainous, but once you have borne witness to Formicarius you won’t dare to doubt them. They are coming for your souls…