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ABHORIA Explores the Ambition Behind a Historical Disaster on New Single
A failed expedition driven by ambition and delusion
US black metal band ABHORIA have released their new single, ‘Ambition and Delusion’, accompanied by a music video. The track offers the first glimpse of the band’s planned third album, due in 2027 via Black Lion Records, and centres on the story of James Gordon Bennett Jr., one of the figures behind a failed expedition to the North Pole. ABHORIA approach the subject by adding a more progressive edge to their black metal and death metal-based sound.
A prominent figure in the publishing world in the late 19th century, James Gordon Bennett Jr. was known for his scandalous behaviour, unchecked ambition, and the failed North Pole expedition he sponsored. The lyrics to ‘Ambition and Delusion’ tell the story from Bennett’s perspective, examining his desire to turn public humiliation into a tale of heroism. Rather than altruism, his motivations are driven by ego, entitlement, and delusion.
Musically, the track moves from mid-paced dissonant passages into more frenetic tremolo-picked sections and full-blast fury, adding a progressive direction to ABHORIA’s familiar intensity. An unexpected steel-guitar interlude performed by vocalist Ben Pitts introduces an unusual texture for black metal before giving way to the track’s melodic guitar solo.
Directed by Hunter Lamar, the video continues the band’s collaboration with the filmmaker, who also helmed their 2024 video for ‘The Well’. Produced under the Digital Myle banner, the visual combines performance footage with scenes recreating Bennett’s story through the aesthetic of classic silent cinema. Intertitles and framing reminiscent of the era’s filmmaking techniques reinforce the track’s historical narrative.
Guitarist and songwriter Trevor Portz traces the visual concept back to a screening of He Who Gets Slapped, starring Lon Chaney, at Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo, California. According to Portz, the silent-film aesthetic provided the right atmosphere to reflect Bennett’s fractured worldview.
‘Ambition and Delusion’ was mixed by Herbrand Larsen at Conclave and Earshot Studios, with mastering handled by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios.
ABHORIA are also using the new single to kick off their US Southwest tour this October. Alongside Colorado-based folk-doom band VELNIAS, they will play 10 shows between 15 and 24 October, travelling from Denver to Los Angeles. Portz says the setlists will feature new material from the forthcoming album alongside older songs.
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