It’s impossible to credibly argue that 2018 was anything but a landmark year for independent underground metal. Across the globe, creativity surged, with standout records erupting from both vibrant scenes and reclusive creators alike. With the advent of their debut album Dreaming in a Dead Language, coming after two prior EPs, North Carolina black metal group Mo’ynoq herald 2019 as a year again brimming with music of such an impressive caliber. Explore their latest creation with our exclusive premiere of their new song “Carve My Name”.

“The second single off of our new record, ‘Carve My Name’ is a revolving door of introspection and loss. The track serves as an important turning point in the record where the vision shifts from the celestial to the existential.” – Mo’ynoq

Dreaming in a Dead Language by Mo’ynoq

“Carve My Name” soon abandons the shimmering tones of its opening movement, veering towards far more sinister territory. Dizzying progressions and abrupt shifts in time disorient the listener, leaving no time for recovery between Mo’ynoq’s pummeling progressions and crushing obliteration. The track is “an important turning point in the record where the vision shifts from the celestial to the existential,” the band said in a collective statement, contextualizing the punishing song as central to the album’s greater conceptual journey.

On Dreaming in a Dead Language, Mo’ynoq at times flirt with blackgaze themes, yet listeners are always left mired in the murky undergrowth, shards of sunlight occasionally piercing the matted shroud above. Whenever a sliver of hope opens, it is shortly shuttered, Mo’ynoq preferring to plunge ever back into the depths of despair. Theirs is a palette filled with dismal hues which hungrily devour the precious few shining moments of hinted-at elation sprinkled throughout their ambitious and artful record.

Mo’ynoq will release Dreaming in a Dead Language on January 11th in vinyl, CD and digital formats. Pre-orders are available now via Bandcamp.