Greek darkwave outfit Reflection Black, led by Elis Alex of Ravencult and Nigredo fame, has unveiled their latest single, A Silver Dagger To Our Throats.
Emerging from Athens’ bustling cityscape, Reflection Black breathes new life into the goth genre, melding 21st-century darkness with a mystical flair. The band layers haunting synths, weaves them with complex guitar work, and hooks listeners with melodic vocals. Their sound is a nod to goth pioneers like The Sisters of Mercy, Midnight Oil, and The Mission, while also echoing contemporary acts like She Past Away, Drab Majesty, and Twin Tribes. Intriguingly, Elis Alex’s metal roots seep through with occasional nods to early Metallica, adding a unique twist to their music.
Reflection Black have now become a 4-piece with the addition of George Foukarakis on guitar, and they are working towards a darker and more organic direction.
A Silver Dagger To Our Throats ventures boldly into deeper, more foreboding territories. This new piece amplifies the intensity, weaving together pulsating bass lines and shimmering synths with sharp, crystalline guitar work. The track navigates a complex musical landscape, balancing melodic harmonies with dissonant undertones, contributing to an overall atmosphere that’s both haunting and captivating. The band’s signature infectious vocal hooks remain a standout feature, but they now carry a tinge of bitter existentialism. The lyrics offer a profound exploration into the darker aspects of spiritual alchemy, adding a rich, contemplative layer to the already dynamic composition.
The lyrics present a profound and sombre meditation on the existential struggles of life. They evoke a sense of disintegration and decay, symbolized by the imagery of the soul being torn and degraded into something unrecognizable, akin to black matter. The recurring motif of blood filling with rust, a consequence of nails piercing the heart, suggests a process of internal corrosion, both physically and spiritually.
The use of the silver dagger as a metaphor, held to the throat by life itself, powerfully conveys the constant and inescapable threat of mortality and existential dread. This image captures the tension between life’s beauty and its inherent peril. The concept of becoming “void shadows” reflects a transformation into a state of emptiness or non-existence, a loss of essence or identity. This portrays a world devoid of the traditional spiritual balance and harmony, emphasizing a more nihilistic and desolate perspective on human existence.
“…The atmosphere feels strikingly more menacing than the one of the album,” muses Elis Alex. “The lyrics touch upon the alchemical Magnum Opus or Great Work, but end up with the conclusion that “There is no pure gold” and “As above, no below.” There is no triumphant ascension of the soul in the end, but only putrefaction.
Listen below:
The track was recorded by Sokratis Bebis at Red Panda Studio and mixed and mastered by George Emmanuel at Pentagram Studio.
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Photos by Spyros Kalyvas
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