Exclusive Music Video Premiere: Akiavel unleashes a BDSM filled time with "The Lady of Death" video
God that title is weird, why do I do these again? Anyways, Akiavel is a melodic death metal band from France who are an absolute treat to listen to (just FYI (go check out my review on the last album)) and an absolute destructive power in french death metal scene. When I took a look at their last album Væ Victis, one of the main points I made was the band’s ability to show up other melodic death metal bands with the sheer power, mostly with their vocalist Auré Jäger, who is (at the moment) one of my favourite female vocalists in the metal scene. She’s up there with Simone Simons (Epica), Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy, ex-The Agonist), Tatiana Shmailyuk (Jinjer), and that one senile old lady one floor below me during one of her meltdowns (seriously, she rocks hard \m/).
And from that album, came a lot of great songs, including the beauty of “Frozen Beauties”, the desolation of “Comrade\товарищ”, and now “Lady of Death”, where the band has chosen to get freaky with the sticky (god that hurt to write).
In response to the song and the video, lead singer Auré commented: “‘Lady of Death’ is a song about Aileen Wuornos. I absolutely wanted to put her on our album because I find her fascinating. I have studied her story a lot, I have a lot of compassion for her despite the fact that she has murdered people. That's why the text isn't very violent or bloody, it's more based on how she feels. She had a lot of suffering in her. For the video clip we got closer to her psychological state. That's why we chose the actress who clearly embodied her conscience and the struggle within her.”
You can check out the video below, and why paying for a good hour or so doesn’t always mean a happy ending. While you’re at it, check out the two videos I did with/about Akiavel below that as well (if you have time).
Tracklist:
Frozen Beauties
Bind Torture Kill
Zombie
Needles from Hell
Comrade
Medium
The Lady Of Death
Pentagram Tattoo
Mommy I’m Capable
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About:
Embrace the new death metal masters and their second full-length album “Væ Victis”! AKIAVEL equals blistering and crushing death metal madness and, with this new chapter, returns with relentless destruction and greater punishment than ever before.
AKIAVEL released their second full-length, “Væ Victis” on April 23rd, 2021! Not allowing a global pandemic to slow them down, “Væ Victis” comes only one year after AKIAVEL’s debut full-length album. This concept album delves into the darkest parts of the human psyche. Further evolving their sound, AKIAVEL takes a radical approach to their musical assault, consuming the listener with dizzying maelstroms of chaos. “Væ Victis” embodies the word “death,” putting forth an intrusive battery of blistering guitars, pummeling drums, and scathing vocals that culminates in one of the most robust death metal records the genre has seen yet.
In 2018, vocalist Auré, guitar player Chris, drummer Butch, and bass player Jay came together to create a sound distinctly modern but with an appreciation for the old school death metal legends from the ‘80s & early ‘90s. It didn’t take long until the chemistry between this quartet to hit critical mass.
The band have always been quick to lay out the hits, releasing their first, self-titled, EP that December. Drawing inspiration from bands such as: Morbid Angel, Deicide, Obituary, Cannibal Corpse, Testament and Gojira, this showcased their trademark sound: a mix of Groove, Thrash, Black and Old-school Death Metal, with a touch of melodic riffs, heavy rhythmic and hardcore sounds.
Although limited by the pandemic, the live performances that followed were executed with stone cold merciless aggression. AKIAVEL made their first stage appearance at the Hellfest Off festival in Clisson in June 2019 (Stéphane Buriez (Loudblast, Sinsaenum, Les Tambours du Bronx) joining the band on stage for 2 mythic covers) and participated in the charity Metal Help Fest 2 in September 2019 at the Secret Place (Montpellier).
The debut full-length album, “V” was a fast follow, released in February 2020. Tracks such as "My Lazy Doll" or "The Witness" hit you right in the face with shredding riffs, neck-breaking drums, and skull-crushing guttural vocals - courtesy of one of the most dynamic frontwomen in death metal.
These releases, along with their reputation in the French music scene, drew the attention of fans and major media outlets worldwide. The band is sponsored by several tier-one brands (Darius Guitarz. Dominger Pickups USA, SP Custom, Skull Strings, and ProOrca drumsticks). Additionally, their debut album “V” was named the Best Underground Metal Album of 2020 by Metal Injection.
And now, only one year later, AKIAVEL are back with more! Buckle up for a blistering musical ride through the minds of the most abhorrent humans to ever walk the earth. Metal at its best!