Noctule have unleashed the second track from their forthcoming Extinguish Thy Flame album, the haunting Goddess Of Rot.
As with all things Noctule – the solo venture of Svalbard singer/guitarist Serena Cherry – it’s based around the video game Elden Ring, namely big boss Malenia. Within this, it’s also a look at loss, sacrifice and endings.
“Honestly? I think this is the solo song that Svalbard fans will appreciate the most,” she says of the new song. “It has the big reverb-drenched leads, the pretty-yet-sad harmonies, a balance of emotional screams and delicate clean singing. It’s the slowest and least heavy song on the album, leaning into atmospheric Finnish Metal influences such as Insomnium and Sentenced, but also DSBM influences such as Thy Light.
“But what does the music mean? Well, in the fight to protect those you love, you can get destroyed beyond recognition. When love morphs into sacrifice that leads to inevitable loss. This is what my new song Goddess Of Rot is about – but specifically, it is about Malenia. Malenia is one of the bleakest characters in the harsh game of Elden Ring. So of course, she is my favourite. She is fighting to protect her brother Miquella while slowly losing herself to Scarlet Rot.
“I deeply connected with her tragic story, so I wrote a song about Malenia to encapsulate the abandonment she suffers but also pay sonic tribute to the devastating power of her Scarlet Rot.”
Check it out below. Extinguish Thy Flame is released on September 25. Meanwhile, Svalbard play their farewell show at ArcTanGent festival next Wednesday.