photos by Frank Lincoln Sample
“…impressive technical chops and adrenaline-fueled inventiveness, the song becomes a truly mind-bending spectacle… – No Clean Singing
Portland, Maine-based black/death metal collective SHABTI – uniting members of Obsidian Tongue, Falls Of Rauros, Fires In The Distance, Panopticon, and more – presents the latest preview of their Haze, Cacophony, And White Light album, with a premiere of “Sojourner” hosted by No Clean Singing.
Musically, SHABTI has never been more calculatingly lethal, deploying an incinerating salvo of black-edged ripping death wrought in layers of inflamed technical prowess and progressive flourishes on their third album, Haze, Cacophony, And White Light. The album’s conceptual lyrics are hazy reflections of past-lived experiences intersecting with a kaleidoscope of mythological and dream-like imagery, exploring themes of grief, longing, religion, and alienation, which culminates in a dire augury of the future where The Shabti succeed their masters.
Tracked by the band with additional tracking of vocals and guitars at Acadia Recording Company in Portland, Haze, Cacophony, And White Light was mixed at The Cathedral of Psychic Death by Aaron Charles (Falls Of Rauros), mastered by Dan Lowndes at Resonance Sound Studio, and completed with cover art by Ibay Arifin.
With “Sojourner,” vocalist/guitarist Rob Cook writes, “I always think of ‘Sojourner’ as the most ‘black metal’ sounding track of our album, but listening back with fresh ears I think the listener can pick out several other prominent extreme metal genres that are enmeshed into the song. It is more austere and mournful than our last single. I don’t set out to write songs in any particular style for SHABTI; I am influenced by many genres of music, and we just play what comes naturally.”
He continues, “The lyrics deal with aspects of loss, regret, and struggling and failing to reach a lofty goal. They develop into a play on the myth of Hades abducting Persephone where the protagonist descends into the underworld in an attempt to see the entity (or thing) that has been taken away from him. There is hope of reunion, or at least a return of the seasons.”
No Clean Singing writes in part alongside the song’s debut, “‘Sojourner’ is a head-spinner from its earliest moments, moments in which the tempo repeatedly (and dramatically) changes and the guitars alternately sound desolate and blaring, feverishly darting, and blisteringly delirious. Haughty roars and terrorizing screams vent the words in the midst of that tripartite riffing, which manages to catch the mind even as it’s rapidly morphing… With the rhythm section proving (again) their own impressive technical chops and adrenaline-fueled inventiveness, the song becomes a truly mind-bending spectacle — although in its final moments it slows, and the music creates an unsettling pall of pain.”
Listen to SHABTI’s incinerating “Sojourner” first only at No Clean Singing HERE.
Haze, Cacophony, And White Light will be released digitally and on tape by Contemn Light on August 21st. Find preorders at Bandcamp where “Rise Of The Shabti” is streaming HERE and digital presaves HERE.
SHABTI has booked a hometown release show for the album at Genos on August 14th, with additional live excursions in the developing stages.
SHABTI Live:
8/14/2026 Genos – Portland, ME *record release show w/ Scattered Remnants, Bloodtied, Matriphagy [tickets]
Emerging from the thaw of the Maine Winter in 2008, SHABTI has been steadfastly crafting their brand of brooding technical black/death metal, eschewing gimmicks, trends, and posturing in favor of focusing on more direct sonic pursuits. After several years and permutations, SHABTI’s lineup finally coalesced into its current form, uniting drummer Ray Capizzo (Falls Of Rauros, Obsidian Tongue, Panopticon-live), vocalist/guitarist Rob Cook (Worm Altar), and bassist Brendan Hayter (Obsidian Tongue, Fires In The Distance). The band has played live frequently throughout the Northeastern United States with bands such as Immolation, Today Is The Day, Primitive Man, Ghoul, Necrot, Blood Incantation, and Conan.
Following two demos in their first few years as a band, SHABTI self-released their debut album, Paracusia, in 2013. In 2019, their second album, Trembling And Shorn, was released in cooperation with Last Mercy Emissions and the band embarked on a Northeastern US tour in support, playing with the likes of Evoken and Churchburn.
In 2022, SHABTI began tracking their third album, yet various life events, mundane commitments, festering depression, and other musical projects delayed completion of the recording process. SHABTI emerged to play several shows at the end of 2023 and early 2024, notably providing hometown support for Ghoul and Necrot, and in late 2025 into early 2026, the band strapped in and completed their third album, Haze, Cacophony, And White Light.
SHABTI:
Ray Capizzo – drums
Rob Cook – vocals, guitar
Brendan Hayter – bass
https://shabti.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/shabti_official
https://www.facebook.com/metalshabti
https://linktr.ee/contemnlight
https://contemnlight.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/contemnlight
https://www.facebook.com/contemnlight
The post SHABTI: No Clean Singing Premieres “Sojourner” By Maine Trio With Obsidian Tongue, Fires In The Distance, Panopticon Members; Haze, Cacophony, And White Light Nears Release August 21st first appeared on Earsplit Compound.