Belphegor completes work on new album

Austrian blackened death metal outfit Belphegor has completed work on its eighth full-length studio album, "Walpurgis Rites - Hexenwahn", due in October via Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to 2008's "Bondage Goat Zombie" was recorded at Andy Classen's (Legion Of The Damned, Dew-Scented, Neaera, Asphyx) Stage One Studios in Kassel, Germany.

Commented frontman Helmuth: "With these nine compositions/arrangements, we continue to piss on the damn mainstream. It's Belphegor to the highest; the hymns are extremely varied, more intense and epic than ever, [and] there are new elements and structures added. Also, we used some haunting samples here and there, to give the album a cold and ritualistic feel."

He continued, "On 'Walpurgis Rites - Hexenwahn', you will hear my most fucked up vocals to date; also the lyrical content is offensive and insane. The witch/devil concept is amazing to work with and we used alot of original chants/ incantations from archaic scripts."

Belphegor has tapped Brazilian artist Marcelo Hvc to handle the graphics for the new album. Marcelo has already begun working on the cover art and "some magickal images," according to a press reelase.

Added Serpenth: "The idea is to capture the okkultic orgiastic processions from the Broken Mountain, the Walpurgis night in the images."

Check out photos from the recording sessions at this location.

"Bondage Goat Zombie" entered the Austrian album chart at position No. 42 upon its release in early 2008. The CD also landed on the German chart at No. 81.

Belphegor's video for the CD's title track can be viewed below. The clip was shot with acclaimed Austrian director Florian Werner.