Photo by Lunaria Wonderland
Hailing from Lithuania as one of the country's most compelling pushers of avant-garde aggression, Black Spikes have struck a chord with those with an appetite for outsider art. Treating heavy music with the reverence of high art, the collective has gone on to tally critical praise and mainstream award recognition, all while holding onto their fearless, progressive approach to modern heavy music.
Set to introduce themselves on a broader, international scale, the band arrives equipped with their most persuasive presentation yet in the dark fairytale of YDOS. Marking the band's Napalm Records debut, the collection of songs leans into the abstract of human vices, creating a cohesive project that explore the full range of humanity. Oscillating between ethereal melodics and dramatic metalcore explosiveness, the range of songs create a soundtrack that achieves an emotional depth that frames metal music with true cinematic style and sophistication.
The band previously spoke to the intentionality and cohesiveness of the album. "Ydos is a conceptual album — a dark fairytale about human vices. The idea was there from the very beginning and guided the entire songwriting process. Each vice has its own name and story, and many songs will be brought to life through music videos where these vices take shape. It was our first time creating a conceptual album, and we really enjoyed starting with an idea and expressing it through music."
Riding the momentum of the band's recent live run opposite Infected Rain, Black Spikes find themselves on the brink or well-earned, wider acclaim with their most definitive recording to date. Offering first-hand insight to the headspace that birthed such an ambitious project, the band submitted a track-by-track account, giving a glimpse into the psyche of YDOS.
“PASAKA”
PASAKA (Fairy Tale in English) is about the power of stories to influence and control us. Through soft whispers and seductive words, the voice in the song slowly draws the listener into the world of the Vices until there is no way back. What first sounds like a simple story becomes a spell, leaving the listener bound to someone else’s will.
“MOTINA”
MOTINA (Mother in English). This is the song where the story of YDOS begins. MOTINA tells the tale of the birth of the Vices. Born in a pure and untouched world, they gather strength before setting out to discover humanity—fragile, searching, and eager to believe. Their presence can be felt throughout the album, revealed through sweet whispers that reflect their growing influence as they subtly shape the choices and fate of humankind.
“MELAS”
MELAS - (Lies in English) is about questioning what we have been taught to believe about life and death. It explores the fear of finding out that there may be nothing after death, and how such a truth could change the way life is seen. The song speaks about loneliness, uncertainty, and the difficult possibility that the truth may not bring comfort.
“MARA”
MARA (demon of excessive curiosity) explores the moment when the desire to experience more becomes stronger than our own limits, leading us into places we were never meant to enter. The song also speaks about people who feel different and do not fit into society, carrying so much pain and guilt inside that they feel the need to leave everything behind and start again.
“ZELVAR”
This song tells the story of ZELVAR, the demon of greed, as he steps into the human world. Within a palace, those consumed by endless ambition gather, chasing ever greater wealth, power, and status. Yet the more they gain, the deeper they fall into his trap - thirsty and forever unsatisfied. Greed is a vice that leaves the soul imprisoned the moment you “close your eyes” and surrender to its temptation.
“REVANA”
REVANA—it’s the name that we’ve chosen for demon of revenge. Revenge promises closure, but often delivers continuation. It keeps the story going instead of ending it. You don’t “get even”—you stay entangled. In the music video, we depict a story inspired by the witch hunts that also reached Lithuania in the 17th century. Women who stood out for their curiosity or who did not easily fit into society were often falsely accused of witchcraft and sentenced to death for causing misfortunes in their communities.
“APATIJA”
APATIJA (Apathy in English). This song, with its Lithuanian folk-inspired lyrics, tells a simple story about a mother waiting for her son who has gone away and never returned. Through her endless waiting and grief, we wanted to show how apathy can grow from pain when we stop moving forward and become trapped in the past. The roses growing around her become a symbol of loneliness, grief, and emotional paralysis.
“AUREA”
AUREA is the name we chose for the vice of pride. It grows within us when we are young and beautiful but becomes painful when time passes and that beauty fades. The song is released together with a music video filmed in the stunning Lithuanian Museum of Ethnocosmology.
"SENAS DEMONAS”
SENAS DEMONAS (Old Demon in English). We often meet people who, despite everything beautiful life has given them, can no longer see any happiness in it. In the song, an old man meets the demons of the Vices and tells them that happiness is only an illusion, while pain and suffering are the true parts of life. It leaves us with a question: are our Vices born within us, or does life itself teach us to become them?
“DULKĖS”
DULKĖS (Dust in English). The final song of YDOS, DULKĖS closes the whole fairy tale by returning everything to dust. It is about the shortness of human life and what remains after we are gone. Our bodies disappear, the past fades, and the future belongs to others. But dust also carries the possibility of new life, reminding us that everything ends only to begin again. In dust, we live forever.
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YDOS, the new album from Black Spikes arrives August 28th via Napalm Records. Order the release - HERE
