Sicilian epic doom metal band Obsidian Church have premiered “Specter of Despair”, the second track presented from their debut album “Stonebound”. The song received an exclusive premiere through the New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal (NWOTHM) YouTube channel, ahead of the album’s physical release on 20 November 2026 via Dying Victims Productions.
“Specter of Despair” follows the earlier unveiling of the track “Fallen” through Germany’s Deaf Forever magazine. At 4:50, the new song is among the shorter compositions on the record, standing alongside considerably longer pieces such as the nearly nine-minute “The Great Circle of Summoning”.
Six Tracks, 37 Minutes
“Stonebound” runs six tracks and approximately 37 minutes. Dying Victims Productions will issue the album on CD and vinyl LP, with a black vinyl edition and a special ochre-coloured pressing among the options. The special vinyl edition comes with an insert, poster, sticker, postcard, download code and patch, while the regular black vinyl edition includes the same printed extras and download code without the patch. Pre-orders are open through the label’s official Bandcamp page.
The track list is as follows:
- “Fallen” - 6:25
- “The Great Circle of Summoning” - 8:59
- “Specter of Despair” - 4:50
- “Soul Enchantment” - 5:57
- “Witching Hour” - 6:06
- “De Occvlta Philosophia” - 4:37
Formed in Early 2024
Obsidian Church were formed in early 2024, with members based in Palermo and Messina. Rather than recording a conventional demo, the five-piece completed “Stonebound” and released it independently in digital form on 28 April 2026. The album subsequently attracted the attention of Dying Victims Productions, which arranged its first physical edition.
From Candlemass to Tristania
The band’s line-up consists of Vicar Nocturnus on vocals, guitarists Sara Scavo and Giada Seidita, bassist Jos Curtis and drummer Antonio La Camera, who also produced the album. Their sound is rooted in the epic doom tradition of Candlemass, Solitude Aeturnus and Solstice, along with Black Sabbath and Pentagram, and they also acknowledge darker atmospheres associated with Tiamat, Paradise Lost, Therion and Tristania. The production balances a rustic, traditional sound with a more ethereal sense of heaviness, while the lyrics deal with existential questions, loss and esoteric spirituality, alongside the possibility of finding beauty within an uncertain world.
“Stonebound” is scheduled for release on CD and vinyl through Dying Victims Productions on 20 November 2026.
