1914 - Viribus Unitis CD (PREORDER)

NB! This is a preorder item - Releasedate is November 14th 2025

The Ukrainian blackened death metal band 1914 returns with relentless power on their fourth studio album, Viribus Unitis. The title—Latin for "With United Forces"—is far more than a historical reference to the personal motto of Franz Joseph I, Emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It reflects the band's resilience in the face of war, loss, and upheaval—a powerful symbol of survival and solidarity. Viribus Unitis builds on the band's acclaimed conceptual approach, delving even deeper into emotional and musical intensity.

1914 continue their chronicle of the First World War, shifting their focus from the raw depiction of death and destruction to themes of camaraderie, endurance, and the emotional world of those who endured the horrors. While previous releases such as The Blind Leading the Blind (2018) and Where Fear and Weapons Meet (2021) focused on the futility and finality of war, Viribus Unitis explores the human bonds forged in fire and the strength of those who returned: broken, changed, but still alive.

Musically, 1914 remains true to their identity—a brutal blend of blackened death metal, slow-burning doom, and atmospheric wartime soundscapes. This time, however, their sound has a wider dynamic range, with soaring melodic leads, orchestral textures, and haunting clean vocals that provide a dramatic contrast to the crushing heaviness. One of the album's highlights is the collaboration with Aaron Stainthorpe of My Dying Bride and High Parasite on "1918 Pt. 3: ADE (A Duty to Escape)," whose plaintive voice lends a solemn, almost liturgical quality to the elegy of grief and front-line brotherhood.

Viribus Unitis deepens 1914's dedication to historical authenticity, both lyrically and conceptually. Drawing on real events and the personal accounts of a Ukrainian soldier in the Austro-Hungarian army, the album traces a timeline from 1914 to 1919, offering a grim journey through the outbreak, climax, and hollow aftermath of the war.

From the brooding opener "War In" to the somber closer "War Out (The End?)", each track captures a moment in time: the brutal "1914 (The Siege of Przemyśl)", the frosty "1915 (Zwinin Ridge)", the devastating Alpine fighting of "1916 (Südtirol Offensive)" and the madness of "1918 Pt. 2: POW (Prisoner of War)" with a contribution from Christopher Scott of Precious Death. The final track is "1919 (The Home Where I Died)" featuring Jérôme Reuter of Rome, a haunting portrait of a soldier who survived the war but not its shadow. The emotional song delves into the will to live and family values of the man who escaped captivity only to return to his wife and daughter. With atmospheric elements, dramatic embellishments and strong guests in their blackened death doom mix, 1914 create their most dynamic and emotional album to date.

DIGIPAK CD - NAPALM RECORDS 2025