Negură Bunget Zi

Negura Bunget, the fascinating black metal band that hails from Romania, are going to release ZI, the second album in their “Transylvanian Trilogy”, on September 30th via Prophecy Productions. The album is the follow up to 2015’s Tau. Pre-orders are available right here.

Direct from the official press release, the band has, “…further immersed itself in the traditions and practices of local Transylvanian inhabitants, exploring their connection with nature, and the way this relationship has shaped spiritual horizons. Within this framework, ‘ZI’ closely examines the core of the most important traditions and rituals connected with the well-being of this community. Life events such as funeral ceremonies, soil tillage, and human growth and evolution (i.e. youth to teen to man to warrior, through to outcast) are spotlighted, in what is undoubtedly some of the most heady, thinking-man’s metal produced in recent memory.”

I went through a period of my life where Negura Bunget was the only band I listened to. Their blend of traditional instrumentation with rich and haunting black metal is alternately hypnotic and frightfully aggressive. For a band with over 20 years of history, it’s a shame that they’re so criminally unrecognized.

1. Tul-ni-că-rînd
2. Grădina stelelor
3. Brazdă dă foc
4. Baciul Moșneag
5. Stanciu Gruiul
6. Marea Cea Mare