Trivium singer and guitarist Matthew Kiichi Heafy has shared more details about his Ibaraki project.
The project's debut album, Rashomon, will be released on May 6 via Nuclear Blast. The band has shared the video for "Akumu" (featuring Behemoth frontman Nergal).
"'Akumu' translates to 'nightmare' — and with this piece, I encourage the listener to work to find their interpretations of what they feel from the lyrics, music, and the haunting visuals of the music video," says Kiichi. "I have always been fascinated by Sagazan's 'Transfiguration,' and for years, I have wanted to pay homage to his works with a performance art piece; to finally be able to immerse myself in his style was an intense experience."
He finishes, "Having Nergal guest in this Ihsahn co-written piece allowed me to combine many of my long-time influences; and when I presented with Nergal of the challenge of translating my lyrics into Polish, it brought the song to another level."
Last month, Ibaraki offered fans a taste and a tease of the music by sharing the video for "Tamashii No Houkai," featuring special guest Ihsahn of Emperor fame, who is a core contributor and partner in this project.