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SHABTI Announce New Album “Haze, Cacophony, And White Light”
New Album “Haze, Cacophony, And White Light”
Portland-based technical black/death metal collective SHABTI return with their third studio album, “Haze, Cacophony, And White Light.” The band will release the new record on August 21 via Contemn Light and have already unveiled the first single, “Rise Of The Shabti.”
Formed in the state of Maine, USA, SHABTI have long stood as one of the more striking names within the underground extreme metal circuit. Featuring members known from acts such as Obsidian Tongue, Fires In The Distance, Falls Of Rauros, and Panopticon, the collective emphasizes that their new album represents their most intense and calculated form to date.
The foundations of the band were laid in 2008 amid the harsh winter conditions of Maine, with SHABTI consistently refusing to align themselves with trend-driven movements in favor of a more direct and aggressive sonic identity. Over the years, an evolving lineup eventually solidified into its current form: Ray Capizzo on drums, Rob Cook handling vocals and guitar, and Brendan Hayter on bass. This lineup has further honed its live presence through shows across the Northeastern United States alongside acts such as Immolation, Primitive Man, Necrot, and Blood Incantation.
SHABTI’s discography began to take shape with “Paracusia” in 2013, followed by “Trembling And Shorn” in 2019. In particular, the positive critical response to the second album helped bring the band’s technical and experimental approach further into focus. Although work on the new record began in 2022, various personal circumstances and creative delays extended the process well into the 2025–2026 period.
According to the band, “Haze, Cacophony, And White Light” stands as the sharpest and most devastating SHABTI release to date. The album presents a layered structure where dense technical guitar work, dark death metal riffing, and progressive flourishes intertwine. Lyrically, it leans into a more abstract and fragmented narrative built around themes of loss, faith, isolation, and mythological imagery.
The first unveiled track, “Rise Of The Shabti,” focuses on a dystopian narrative in which humanity’s post-collapse legacy is inherited by artificial intelligence and synthetic entities. The band notes that the track is both one of the most straightforward songs on the album and a deliberate choice to introduce its overall atmosphere.
“Haze, Cacophony, And White Light” will be released digitally and on cassette on August 21 via Contemn Light. With the tracklist now confirmed, anticipation is already building around how SHABTI’s new material will translate into their live performances.
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