Kerberos - Apostle to the Malevolent
Swiss progressive/symphonic death metal band Kerberos has released their new record, Apostle to the Malevolent, today (14 March 2025) on CD and digital. Across five tracks, the quartet channels personal trauma and explores the struggles of capitalism and its consequences.
The band states:
“’Apostle to the Malevolent’ marks the next evolutionary step in our sound. On the five tracks, we embrace more baroque, progressive, and virtuosic elements, all while staying true to our established symphonic death metal roots. We couldn't be happier with the final result and believe this is our strongest effort to date in terms of songwriting, performance and production.”
Kerberos is a symphonic death metal Band from Switzerland, founded by guitar player and vocalist Félicien Burkard in 2013. In 2014, the band was joined by drummer Nicolas Käser. With the addition of vocalist Ai-lan Metzger in 2018, the band began recording their demo, The Awakening of the Hellhound, released in 2020. In early 2021, the band started tracking their first album, Of Mayhem and Dismay, at Iguana Studios in Germany. Released in September 2022, the album blends the epic, progressive and extreme into a unique package. Intricate choir and orchestral arrangements meet crushing prog death parts, complemented by an exciting interplay of clean and harsh lead vocals, challenging genre conventions and musical boundaries
After the release of the album, Diego Lanzendörfer joined Kerberos as second guitar player, which allowed the band to start their live chapter. By playing their first gig in Werkk Baden in June 2023, Kerberos proved that they deliver an energetic live performance that is no less convincing than the studio record.
The upcoming studio outing, Apostle to the Malevolent, is both more ambitious and more cohesive than the band's previous records. Each track is inspired by the baroque era and its composers. The tracks do not only preserve baroque sound aesthetic but also focus on virtuosic melody lines and complex contrapuntal writing. Lyrically, the record is deeply rooted in personal themes, exploring mental health and trauma while also critiquing the capitalist hellscape we are trapped in. Amidst the EP’s overarching darkness, the track “Alpine Sea” embodies a whirlwind of emotions with a dreamlike atmosphere.
Recorded and produced by the experienced Christoph Brandes at Iguana Studios in Germany (known for his work with Necrophagist, Unlight, and Finsterforst), the production quality meets the high standards expected of modern extreme and epic metal. This time, Kerberos also raised the bar by enlisting classical musicians and a choir to create an authentic, organic listening experience. The result is a powerful record that will appeal to fans of traditional symphonic death metal as well as progressive and avant-garde music.
