Qasu - A Bleak King Cometh - Cassette *Pre-Order
Ancient Future Black Metal Meets Blackened Psychedelia
Mysterious UK–US experimental black metal trio Qasu announce their debut album A Bleak King Cometh, out 30 January 2026 via Phantom Limb and Apocalyptic Witchcraft. Described by the band as “ancient future black metal,” the record fuses blackened psychedelia, occult techno, and warped sound design into a singular, terrifying vision.
Formed by members of “somewhat known” acts, Qasu arrive fully formed—cataclysmic riffs, breakneck blastbeats, tortured vocals, and a mythic, all-consuming atmosphere.
“A Bleak King Cometh is a visionary debut—voidborne, unrelenting, and unlike anything else in extreme metal,” says Conor Droney (Apocalyptic Witchcraft).
Lead single “Jewels Where The Eyes Once Were” (out now) melds new wave synths, pounding techno kicks, taiko percussion, and apocalyptic guitars beneath Rahsaan Sagan’s seething cries:
“Bring me a living heart / Bring me bejewelled eyes / Bring me to a bleeding altar / To deify the bleak king.”
Qasu’s world bridges witch-burnings and alien transmissions, heresy and sci-fi, ritual and circuitry. Sagan’s spectral synthesis and beat-driven electronics stretch black metal’s edges, while drummer Nikhil Talwalkar (Anal Stabwound) delivers punishing precision and Aldous Daniken shapes the chaos into visionary form.
“We don’t need to explain who the ‘Bleak King’ is,” says Daniken. “We’re already living in dark times.”
Born from a dream encounter with a “destructive but protective ghost,” Qasu’s transatlantic collaboration unites the UK and US underground. A Bleak King Cometh will be released on vinyl, CD, and all streaming platforms on 30 January 2026.
