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Blessings of Amurdad

by DAKHMA

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  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      €7 EUR

     

  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    4-panel Digipak, accompanied by a 16-page booklet including lyrics & pictures. Also includes a designed download card for the digital album.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Blessings of Amurdad via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 10 days
    edition of 500  70 remaining
    Purchasable with gift card

      €12.12 EUR or more 

     

  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    180g black vinyl!
    Gatefold sleeve with matt varnish, 16-page 12" booklet with pictures, illustrations, and all lyrics. Black paper inner sleeve with a protective layer, designed download card for the digital album.

    Ships from Germany

    Includes unlimited streaming of Blessings of Amurdad via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 10 days
    edition of 250  39 remaining
    Purchasable with gift card

      €23.23 EUR or more 

     

  • Limited Audio Cassette Edition (Gold)
    Cassette + Digital Album

    Professionally duplicated golden tapes with black ink and special fold-out cover and designed download card for the digital album.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Blessings of Amurdad via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

    Sold Out

  • Limited Audio Cassette Edition (Clear)
    Cassette + Digital Album

    Professionally duplicated clear tapes with black ink and special fold-out cover and designed download card for the digital album.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Blessings of Amurdad via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

    Sold Out

1.
Is it in his name that thou hath forsaken the truth? The truth! The holy one! For thou hath the stench of the wretched (holy one) And all his riches clothe thine back The truth! The holy one! The truth! The holy one! Treachery, most foul heretical mind, The truth! The holy one! Stand with me, before the shrine of holy fire! Naught is good, all is wrought It is I who has been chosen by our true Lord, reveal yourself jealous one! Reveal yourself, reveal! Reveal yourself jealous one Come forth and be undone Reveal yourself jealous one Come forth and be undone by thine divinity! The truth! The holy one! The truth! The holy one! Come forth and see the truth The truth! The holy one! Thou hath the stench of the wretched All his riches clothe thine back
2.
Wretched keeper of the flame seeker Hath thou born witness to the perversion of thine teachings? Ah, for naught, as it is I who invokes the blessings eternal of our Lord Be it not for me, never would the mortal creature Dare ascend to the divine The King! Blessed in the gaze of Ahura! The King! Gilded in devotion And when the feeble ascend to the shrine of our lord We shall refuse entry and ascension! Entry and ascension! The King! Blessed in the gaze of Ahura! For they hath not shown Their purity and devotion Their flesh is rotten and their eyes bleed! (Only the most devout may heed his call, for his name is glory and his gaze fruitful!) The King! Blessed in the gaze of Ahura! The King! Gilded in devotion!
3.
Atash Bahram 04:25
Oh mortal one Doth thou dare stand before me? Oh mortal one Doth thou dare heed his word? I beseech these offerings immortal one Doth thou dare refuse me? These gifts of men, doth thou dare?
4.
Breath deep from the sacred flame, heed my word As it is in his name that thou doth forsake thine heresy Scoured and flayed! The wretched doth rise as the sun in the morn For he hath betrayed! The filthy doth cry from the rotten tomb! Hath thou begged for forgiveness? Speak the truth, speak the truth, holy one! Hath thou not sought his blessing? Speak the truth, speak the truth, holy one! In his name doth thou forsake thine heresy? Scoured! Decayed! The wretched doth rise as the sun in the morn For he hath betrayed! The filthy lay dead in a rotten tomb! The cry of filth has found thee wretched and unclean For he hath bestowed upon thee glory Heed the whispers of our Lord For he hath forsaken the true flame! The sacred flame, besmirched Heed this word, as in his name Thou hath done great harm to thine kin (And shall never forsake thine heresy) Dare not beg for forgiveness? Speak but lies, speak but lies holy one! Dare not seek his true blessing? Speak but lies, speak but lies holy one!
5.
Before thee, the shrine of immortality Witness this testament to divine purity Dare ascend, birth of flesh yet be weary Thou shalt Concede thine mortality and pray! The treachery! Forgiveness from the holy Forgiveness from the glorious one! What treachery! Yet gazing through the shrine as a carcass sprawled upon Drapery is the treachery of mortal lust He who is wary of the treacherous nature of mortal flesh shall never stray From the path divine He shall forsake his riches and imbibe from the chalice (From the chalice of our lord!) Thine flesh soaked by the rot of mortality (Heed the blessings of our lord!) He shall Forsake his riches and imbibe from the chalice (From the chalice of our lord!) Come forth now, and for eternity (Heed the blessings of our lord!) Refusal! The ignorance of man Cast down and delivered to thine putrid kin! Birth of flesh, unforgiven From the holy, the glorious one! Never attain his purity Feeble mortal, cast down for treachery (In the service of his light)
6.
Afrinagan 03:39
7.
Dare not betray thine oath to Ahura Lest thee be willing to forsake thine divinity Are ye he who shalt forsake his riches (his riches spent) Witness the glory of our holy Lord Forsake them! Only his name is glory (Our holy Lord) Bestowed upon thee by our holy Lord! Our holy, our holy Lord Our holy, our holy Lord He who doth speak good words and is of kind spirit Come forth unclean one! Cast aside these dispersions of immortality The blessings of purity Thou weareth a wreath upon thine scalp In worship to the feeble, now cast asunder! Invoke his name and be forgotten! Thine hopes in true divinity Our holy, our holy Lord His riches, his riches spent Forsake them! Only his name is glory (Our holy Lord) Bestowed upon thee by our holy Lord! Our holy, our holy Lord Our holy, our holy Lord Come forth unclean one, cast aside thine immortality... The blessings of purity... Come forth unclean one (Unclean! Unclean!) Cast aside thine immortality The blessings of purity (Unclean! Unclean!) Thou weareth a wreath upon thine scalp Thou hath betrayed thine oath to Ahura And thus forsaken thine divinity Beseeched upon thee true riches, worship them For thou shalt attain true glory Bestowed upon thee by our holy Lord, Ahura
8.
Shehrevar! Ancient whispers of holy, heed my call! The blessed spirit! In thine name doth be bask in the blood of mortals... In search of thine wisdom Seeking the rite of dominion In thine name, the impurities of flesh shall be smitten The rite, the rite of dominion The rite, the rite of the damned I drink from thine wisdom, attain the rite The rite, the rite of dominion Cast to the chasm of dark where no man may prevail Shehrevar! Ancient whispers of holy, I call thee! Oh blessed spirit! In thine name doth we bask in the blood of mortals... Feast upon these offerings Oh holy one! These gifts of men are but a shrine to thine divinity Yet as we seek thine blessing, we are weary of the earth And as we have thine blessing, we are weary of the earth Yet as I give mine blessing, be not weary of the earth And as I give mine blessing, be not weary of the earth The rite of dominion The rite of the damned I feast upon thine offerings, oh mortal one Beware these gifts of men Are but a shrine to mine divinity And drink of mine wisdom Through the rite, the rite of dominion In thine name, the impurities of flesh shall be smitten!

about

On “Blessings of Amurdad” (Amurdad translating to immortality in Middle Persian), Dakhma abducts listeners to a distant, foreign land and dares to journey to a time long ago, when desert mystics and noble empires still strode proudly through ancient Persia. Thematically, “Blessings of Amurdad” explores the complex relationship between mortality and immortality in Zoroastrianism, based mainly on key passages of the ancient text of the Gathas. In particular, the band manages to provide a compelling narrative detailing perceived jealousies expressed by mortals towards the divine and vice versa. These themes are captured in the compelling cover artwork, painted by the inimitable Babar Moghal, depicting an ancient tower of silence, seemingly forgotten and decaying but nevertheless exuding a sense of foreboding and nobility, hinting at the divine.

Musically, Dakhma manage to expand on the harrowing, sinister atmosphere presented on previous works and infuse it with a strong feel for dynamics and rhythm. On “Blessings of Amurdad”, Dakhma shows a significant development in their ability to craft compelling songs, whilst further improving upon the gripping, middle eastern infused atmosphere that has characterized their sound up to this point. A drastic improvement in production, allowing for impressive clarity where other contemporary extreme metal projects settle for a stale mess of noise, provides these carefully developed songs with the appropriate sonic vehicle to fully absorb the listener and transfer them to the ominous desert landscape displayed on the album’s cover artwork.

Throughout the album, Karapan Darvish’s performance of various acoustic instrumentation provides for an organic contrast to the already lush and diverse sonic texture on display. Despite the new sonic textures explored on “Blessings of Amurdad”, what allows this album to truly elevate from the masses is the band’s diverse, occasionally experimental and deceptively catchy songwriting style, something that has been honed and developed upon greatly in comparison to previous releases. In particular, Ahu Spozgar’s drum and percussion performance showcases an incredible amount of detail, where each hit seems composed to enhance the sonic foundation laid by the guitars.

credits

released November 19, 2021

Dakhma is Zoroastrian Death Music performed by:
Karapan Darvish - Throat, Hymns to Daeva and Sonic Invocations
Ahu Spozgar - Demonic Thunderstorms and Invocations

Recorded and mixed by Karapan Darvish at the Crypt
(Helvetic Underground Committee).

Mastered by Greg Chandler at Priory Recording Studios.
(www.prioryrecordingstudios.co.uk)

Cover artwork by Babar Moghal
(instagram.com/babar_moghal)

Photos by Menetekel and Dungeoncinth.
Layout by Valkenstijn and Menetekel.

license

all rights reserved

tags

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