Machukha have released “Severing”, a new single, days before the Ukrainian-German post black metal band start their UK tour. The track is out now on Bandcamp and streaming services, and comes with a self-produced video.
A video about cutting out what is damaged
The video follows a protagonist played by Andy Decroos, a friend of the band, and was directed by guitarist Bláthin, who also wrote the script and choreography. Natalya assisted with the script, Mykola Lebed handled lighting, and Zoya Bassi was on camera and editing. The band say the clip shows the struggle a person can have with themselves, and how that struggle turns into surrender after a forceful removal as an act of survival.
When you detect that a part of yourself is very damaged, sometimes the only way to survive is by cutting it out. But how does this amputation impact the relationship you have with yourself? What happens with this void that was born from what was once there and is no more? And why did you get to this point in the first place, where a part of you became so sick, so damaged, you had to remove it?
- Machukha
The band note that Decroos is in the process of getting new teeth with the support of his partner Berlinde, so the condition of having no teeth is being changed through care.
Boris Wilsdorf at the desk
“Severing” was recorded and mixed by Boris Wilsdorf at andereBaustelle Tonstudio and mastered by Alex Sedin at Ghostalgy Prods. The credits list Natalya on vocals, Bláthin on guitar and vocals, Mykola Lebed on bass and saxophone, Pierre-Hugues Hadacek on recorded drums and Leva on live drums. Leva has been a fixed member of the group since 2026.
Eleven dates, from Torun to Bochum
The single arrives just before the band’s previously announced run of shows. They play Torun in Poland on 31 October, then cross to the UK for Brighton on 7 November, Manchester on 8 November, Leeds on 10 November, Norwich on 11 November, London on 12 November, Bristol on 13 November, Nottingham on 14 November and Glasgow on 15 November. Two more dates follow in December: Skurup in Sweden on 5 December and Bochum in Germany on 12 December.
This Music is about resilience - it moves through pain by surrendering to it. What excites us most is discovering how the emotions conveyed in this music resonate with people we’ve never met. We’re grateful for the chance to share something deeply personal, and those joining us to notice what emotions arise within them during these performances.
- Machukha
Natalya sings in Ukrainian
Natalya is the vocalist of Machukha and sings exclusively in her native Ukrainian, using her voice as an outlet for genuine anguish. She also organises the DIY underground music festival Back to Youth in Ukraine, which is suspended because of the Russian full-scale invasion. Natalya designed and handmade the costumes and props for each of the band’s music videos, including the six the band have self-produced.
A second album for early 2027
Machukha formed as a live act in late 2023 and have since played Roadburn Festival in the Netherlands, Core The Festival in Scotland, Culthe Fest in Germany, A Colossal Weekend in Denmark and opened the main stage at Complexity Fest in the Netherlands. Their debut album “Mochari” came out via Consouling Sounds on 7 June 2024, recorded with Jan Oberg at Hidden Planet Studio and Jack Shirley at The Atomic Garden Studios, and Cvlt Nation placed it at number five among the top black metal releases of that year.
The band’s second album is scheduled for release in early 2027 via Lay Bare Records, with more information and pre-orders to come. Machukha received a grant from Initiative Music for the production and marketing of the record, which they worked on with Boris Wilsdorf and drummer Pierre-Hugues Hadacek. The band say that while “Mochari” was about processing pain by allowing yourself to feel its full weight, the second album asks what must be done with that pain: cut out, reflected until it breaks, or carried until it burns.
