Photo by: Brock Marlborough
Denver doom unit Khemmis have announced the release of their fifth studio record. The self-titled affair is scheduled to arrive via Nuclear Blast Records on June 12th. Pre-orders are available now via this link. Speaking of the effort, guitarist/vocalist Ben Hutcherson comments:
“We decided early in the songwriting process that we wanted to write a tight, high-energy album that retained the essential ‘Khemmis sound’ while also embodying the joy of creating, experiencing, and loving heavy metal. Ours have always been deeply personal songs born from tragedy and sorrow; while the songs on Khemmis are still undeniably dark—I don’t think we’re capable of writing ‘happy’ music nor can we disentangle our music from our own personal experiences—they are not mined from our suffering.
Instead, this record is a celebration of the music world that has sustained us, both individually and collectively, and has also gifted us with community and a sense of meaning. In many ways, we have reconnected with the energy and excitement from our earliest days as a band, an unabashed desire to play loud, heavy music. That exuberance is infused with a profound sense of gratitude to be able to create art with each other and to share it with the world.”
Word of the album arrives with the release of a Frank Guerra-directed video for lead single “Invocation of the Dreamer”. Speaking of the song, Hutcherson adds:
“We knew that this song had to be the first single in much the same way we knew it had to be the album opener—it is an undeniable ripper. ‘Invocation Of The Dreamer‘ kicks the front door in, flips over your coffee table, and sets your living room on fire. It has everything you’d expect from a Khemmis song—big riffs, harmonized guitars, infectious vocal melodies—along with a slew of surprises, including blastbeats and a scorching bass break.”
Additionally, Khemmis has revealed dates for a summer headlining tour with support provided by Necrofier and Wretched. Tickets go on sale tomorrow here. Following their headliner, the group will head out with Monolord. Get the dates for that trek at this location.
Khemmis track listing:
- “Invocation Of The Dreamer”
- “Corpsebloom Garden”
- “Grief’s Reverie”
- “Beneath The Scythe”
- “Gilded Chambers”
- “Tomb Of Roses”
- “Carrion King”
- “Benediction Tones”
6/19 Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theater
6/20 Seattle, WA – Substation
6/21 Portland, OR – Aladdin Theater
6/23 Sacramento, CA – Starlet Room
6/24 Berkeley, CA – Cornerstone
6/25 Santa Cruz, CA – Felton Music Hall
6/26 Los Angeles, CA – Lodge Room
6/27 San Diego, CA – Brick By Brick
6/28 Pioneertown, CA – Pappy & Harriet’s
6/30 Phoenix, AZ – Nile Theater
7/01 Cottonwood, AZ – Queen B
7/02 Albuquerque, NM – Sister
