music > cd > 1914 > Viribus Unitis
Viribus Unitis
CD (Napalm Records)
Available from 14/11/2025
Also Available in 2xLP12 Double Vinil
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15.00 €
Ukrainian blackened death/doom metal formation 1914 return with unrelenting force on their fourth studio album, Viribus Unitis, Latin for "With United Forces." Far more than a historical reference to the personal motto of Franz Joseph I of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the title reflects the band’s resilience through war, loss, and upheaval – a powerful symbol of survival and solidarity. Releasing on November 14, 2025 via Napalm Records, Viribus Unitis builds on the band’s acclaimed conceptual approach, pushing even deeper into emotional and musical intensity.
Continuing their chronicle of World War I, 1914 shift their focus slightly, from the raw portrayal of death and destruction to themes of camaraderie, endurance, and the emotional landscapes of those who endured the horrors. While previous releases like The Blind Leading the Blind (2018) and Where Fear and Weapons Meet (2021) centered on the futility and finality of war, Viribus Unitis explores the human bonds forged under fire and the strength of those who returned: broken, changed, yet still alive.
Musically, 1914 remain true to their identity – brutal mixture of blackened death metal, slow-burning doom, and ambient war soundscapes. This time, however, their sound gains a broader dynamic range, with soaring melodic leads, orchestral textures, and haunting clean vocals that provide dramatic contrast to the crushing heaviness. One of the album’s highlights is a collaboration with Aaron Stainthorpe of My Dying Bride and High Parasite on “1918 Pt. 3: ADE (A Duty to Escape),” whose mournful voice adds a solemn, almost liturgical quality to this elegy of grief and brotherhood on the front lines.
Viribus Unitis deepens 1914’s commitment to historical authenticity, both lyrically and conceptually. Told through real events and personal accounts of a Ukrainian soldier in the K.u.K. army, the album traces a timeline from 1914 to 1919, painting a grim journey through the war’s rise, climax, and hollow aftermath.
From the brooding opener “War In” to the bleak closer “War Out (The End?)”, each track captures a moment in time: the brutal “1914 (The Siege of Przemyśl)”, the frostbitten “1915 (Zwinin Ridge)”, the crushing Alpine combat of “1916 (Südtirol Offensive)”, and the madness of “1918 Pt. 2: POW (Prisoner of War)” featuring Christopher Scott of Precious Death.
The album ends with “1919 (The Home Where I Died),” featuring Rome’s Jerome Reuter, a haunting portrait of a soldier who survived the war, but not its shadow. This emotional song deals with the soldier's will to live and his family values, seeing him escape from captivity to finally return home to embrace his wife and daughter. 1914 fuse blackened death metal, doom, and atmospheric textures with dramatic flourishes and guest vocals, creating their most dynamic and emotionally resonant record to date.
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Mais uma vez, a história sangra em cada nota - sombria, grandiosa e devastadora!<br /><br />Viribus Unitis aprofunda o compromisso de 1914 com a autenticidade histórica, tanto lírica quanto conceitualmente. Contado através dos relatos pessoais de um soldado ucraniano no exército K.u.K., o álbum segue eventos reais, traçando uma linha do tempo de 1914 a 1919, e pinta uma jornada sombria através da ascensão da guerra, clímax e consequências vazias.<br /><br />K.u.k. Galizisches IR Nr.15, Gefreiter, Ditmar Kumarberg, sobre "1914 (O Cerco de Przemyśl)": "Presos atrás das muralhas da fortaleza: No aperto gelado da Primeira Guerra Mundial, 130.000 soldados austro-húngaros se viram cercados, famintos e desesperados dentro da poderosa fortaleza de Przemyśl. De setembro de 1914 a março de 1915, o exército russo cercou, martelando a cidade com artilharia e sufocando suprimentos. Meses se passaram. A comida acabou. Cavalos, cães, até ratos, tornaram-se rações. A doença se espalhou. A moral desmoronou. E então... rendição. Uma das maiores capitulações da guerra. A fortaleza outrora orgulhosa caiu, entregando à Rússia uma vitória simbólica na Frente Oriental. Mas a vitória foi fugaz! Uma vitória de curto prazo para a Rússia, mas as marés voltaram a virar quando as Potências Centrais retomaram a cidade mais tarde naquele ano. A guerra não mostra misericórdia".