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KATHODOS summons “The Dark Priests” in new video!

  • Jason Hesley
  • Oct 11
  • 3 min read

The experimental ritual dark ambient band Kathodos has unveiled a new music video for their track "The Dark Priests". The song is featured on their album “Parasomnia: Pavor Nocturnus”, which is set to be released on CD on 28 October 2025 via Rune Serpent Europa. The limited-edition CD will include a 4-page booklet and will have a pressing of 500 copies.



According to Kathodos, "'The Dark Priests' is a song meant to paint a nightmare of the darkest hue. Influenced by a scene in Stanley Kubrick's 1999 film, 'Eyes Wide Shut', the track intends to transport the listener to an active occult ritual. Images of pagan masks, dark thrones, black staffs and sacrifice are conjured while the blasphemous hymn is performed by the dark priests. The listener will decide whether they wish to escape from this nightmare or if they are seduced by what they experience during the ritual. The music video features the latter two-thirds of the track. All footage contained in the video is taken from the 1922 silent film, 'Häxan'. The visuals, the concept, and the acting from the film compliments the song perfectly."


Kathodos previously released music videos for the tracks “Hanging Tree” (Spotify), the catchiest number on the album with imagery from ‘La Vie et la Passion de Jesus Christ’, a French 1903 silent film, and “A Memory Dwindles…” (Spotify), which is a song about a person haunted by a horrifying memory of seeing a child falling off a rooftop and features footage from the 1920 silent film, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.


“Parasomnia: Pavor Nocturnus” is meant to be experienced as a sequence of strange dreams. It comprises a listening journey of confusing, dark, beautiful, scary, comical, twisted, psychotic, and bizarre dreams. The album takes the listener on a dark and sometimes terrifying journey of strange voices, bizarre sounds, beautiful moments, maddening architecture, and intricate instrumentation. It is highly unique, making use of hypnotising drones, occult rituals, odd lyrics, and hidden meanings. Listeners will hear something new each time they play the album.


Kathodos, the man behind the project, conceptualised the band in 2019 as an "experiment in darkness". Having previously performed as a rock musician, he sought to create something darker. The album's atmosphere was conjured from the best fragments of his dreams and the worst fragments of his nightmares. The entire album was composed in the spring of 2021 after lying dormant for nearly two years. Following another period of latency, most of the instrumentation and vocals were recorded in the spring of 2022. A difficult period in late 2022 delayed the project until 2023, when the rest of the album was finally recorded. Lavinia was recruited in late 2023 to provide soprano, spoken word vocals, and guitar on a few tracks. Kathodos also produced, mixed, and mastered the album in late 2023 and early 2024. After gaining a strong following from the few people who happened upon the initial release, Kathodos signed with Rune Serpent Europa in 2025 to reach a wider audience.


Kathodos is a studio-only project and does not perform live. A second album is currently in the works. The band has also appeared on two official compilations released by Rune Serpent Europa: Laibach Tribut - Schlecht Und Ironisch, for which Kathodos covered the Laibach song "White Law" and Saturno Butto tribute “The Five Senses”, contributing the track "Death & Rebirth".


Pre-order the CD version of “Parasomnia: Pavor Nocturnus” via The Circle Music (worldwide distributor for this release): https://thecirclemusic.gr/product-category/distributed-stuff/?filter_artist-name=kathodos


Kathodos’ “Parasomnia: Pavor Nocturnus” is recommended for fans of Nurse With Wound, Coil and Current 93.


“Parasomnia: Pavor Nocturnus” tracklist:

1. Phantom of the Throne Room

2. A Memory Dwindles…

3. …Window

4. The Dark Priests

5. Hanging Tree

6. Message Sent to Earth

 
 
 

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