IRKALLIAN ORACLE
GRAVE EKSTASIS

One of the releases that garnered the most attention in 2013 was Irkallian Oracle’s "Grave Ekstasis" tape. Released on Kristian Olsson’s obscure tape label, Bolvark, the tape quickly sold out as word spread regarding the quality of both the music and aesthetics of this exceptional release. Never intended to be treated as a “demo” in the traditional sense, "Grave Ekstasis" is an overture to Irkallian Oracle’s continued descent into the nether regions of the spirit. It was conceived of and executed as a cohesive project and meant to be released and regarded as an album – a thematically and sonically complete exploration of the concepts around which the project revolves. The esoteric Death Metal played by Irkallian Oracle superbly reflects the interwoven traditions of Death and Black metal with the arcane ritualistic nature of the latter subsumed within the physically oppressive structure of the former. Considering this is the first release from this band, it seems obvious that Irkallian Oracle is poised to assume a stature commensurate with other similarly oriented bands such as Dead Congregation and Necros Christos. The lyrical and conceptual framework of Irkallian Oracle is equally impressive – the depth of the non-musical content on this recording requires particularly intense immersion to fully apprehend. Due to the praise immediately heaped upon it, the "Grave Ekstasis" tape sold out rapidly. Thus, when NWN! approached the band about working together in the future, the logical first step was to release “Grave Ekstasis” on vinyl and cd for wider distribution as Irkallian Oracle prepares for it’s next highly anticipated album.