Moonspell share new album details, post “The Greater Good” video

Moonspell is approaching their 30th anniversary as a band more ambitiously and stronger than ever, as the Portuguese dark metal pioneers have finally revealed the hotly anticipated details for their upcoming 13th studio album! Hermitage will be released on February 26, 2021 via Napalm Records.

While the world is struggling in the dark, Moonspell’s forthcoming album was recorded, mixed and mastered by Jaime Gomez Arellano (Paradise Lost, Primordial, Ghost, Sólstafir and many more) at the Orgone Studios in the UK.

Building upon the sensitive facets of Hermitage, one can expect an entertaining and revolutionary, yet epic journey through the darkest days of human existence. Beautifully crafted songs such as “The Greater Good“ show us the modernity of the wolves in 2021, while other tracks embrace the Moonspell tradition of writing a dark, gothic metal record like no other band can. The ethereal and melodic sounds of Moonspell, while not straying away from their metal roots — influenced by underground metal bands such as Bathory — make Hermitage most likely one of the deepest, surprising and most epic albums Moonspell has ever written.

Today, the band is sharing the first song taken from Hermitage, the album opening track “The Greater Good”. Lead singer Fernando Ribeiro reveals:
“‘The Greater Good’ is a sociological concept implying the benefit of the public, of more people than oneself. To do which is better and more correct. Unfortunately, a lot of wrong-doing and pure evil actions were taken on behalf of this principle both by world leaders, and citizens. With a “screenplay” designed by myself, and put together by director Guilherme Henriques (Gaerea, Crippled Black Phoenix, Schammasch) ‘The Greater Good’ strikes at the deep contrast of our priorities as human beings. The plot evidentiates the daily clash between the problems we could never or never wanted to solve; and our “first world preoccupations”. The cult of the body versus the African famine; the killing of the innocent versus the second amendment; the beauty of monuments against the ugliness of violence.

We are all responsible for the things we see here. For the greater good, for the greatest evil. It’s not a question of race, gender, class or education. It’s a question of conscience. It’s vital we renew our communities’ ties, our humanly behavior. Only we can save us from ourselves.”

Watch the haunting lyric video for “The Greater Good” HERE:

Hermitage tracklist:
01. The Greater Good
02. Common Prayers
03. All or Nothing
04. Hermitage
05. Entitlement
06. Solitarian
07. The Hermit Saints
08. Apophthegmata
09. Without Rule
10. City Quitter (Outro)
Bonus Tracks:
11. Darkness in Paradise (Candlemass Cover – LP, Box, Cassette + Mediabook)
12. The Great Leap Forward (7″ Vinyl – Deluxe Box)

Artist photo by Rui Vasco
Press release courtesy of Freeman Promotions / Napalm Records