Portland progressive sludge masters LORD DYING will release their long-awaited new full-length, Clandestine Transcendence, on January 19th, 2024 via MNRK Heavy, today unveiling the record’s first single, cover art, and preorders.

LORD DYING transforms tragedy into triumph. From the earliest rumblings of their first demo and self-titled EP (both issued in 2011), through the piledriving force of Summon The Faithless (2013) and crushing despair of Poisoned Altars (2015), the band has conjured masterfully melancholic heavy music for the misanthropic, with grit and grime. 

LORD DYING cofounders Erik Olson (guitar, vocals) and Chris Evans (guitar) are joined by Alyssa Mocere (former bassist for Eight Bells), and Kevin Swartz (current drummer of Tithe). Chicago Reader crowned Mysterium Tremendum, “a beautiful meditation on tragedy.” Produced by Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou (High On Fire, Code Orange, Kvelertak) at his God City Studios, Clandestine Transcendence steps even further into the great unknown, filled with riffs and vibes.

Mysterium Tremendum (Latin for “awe-inspiring mystery” or “terrible mystery,” depending on one’s view of existence) began a narrative centered on a central character the band calls The Dreamer, a conceptual theme that drove expansive, sometimes monstrous, and even plaintive and vulnerable music. 

Olson describes The Dreamer as an immortal being who wants to die. On Clandestine Transcendence, he gets that wish. “This one is about what happens beyond death,” the frontman explains. Woven throughout the songs, that story and its rich thematic material inform an immersive listen. Tension, drama, and atmosphere abound all over songs like “The Universe Is Weeping” and “Unto Becoming.” The massive scope and melodic vocals found on album three expand further on Clandestine Transcendence. Sharpened songwriting, emphasizing hooks, helps push both extremes of the band beyond prior limits. Simply put, the softer side is even dreamier; the heavy side is twice as brutal.

Comments Olson, “We are super psyched to announce the release of our new album Clandestine Transcendence on MNRK Heavy, recorded by the incredible Kurt Ballou at God City Studios. n addition to our new album, we are premiering the first single/video 'I AM NOTHING, I AM EVERYTHING.' The video was directed by the incomparable Zev Deans, and we couldn’t be happier with the results. We are touring Europe with mighty UK doom legends Conan this Fall. Come out and bang your head! Tour starts in under two weeks. Let’s do this!”