Bill Masino, the sole member of TORII, is taking the project in a post-metal, death-doom and doom direction with its seventh album, ‘Despaire’, due out on December 18. The title track, released as the album’s first single, is available to stream on Bandcamp.

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Arriving five years after its predecessor, ‘Despaire’ marks a new chapter for TORII, moving away from its black metal roots towards a broader musical landscape. Masino handles all the instrumentation, programming, vocals, lyrics and album artwork himself, bringing together elements of post-metal, death-doom and doom. YOB, PALLBEARER, MORNE and CULT OF LUNA are among the reference points cited for the album.

The album’s conceptual framework draws on Edmund Spenser’s poem The Faerie Queene. Centred on dreams and nightmares, ‘Despaire’ brings together the struggle to overcome darkness and the idea of making the most of whatever time remains in life.

‘Despaire’ will be released on December 18. Ahead of the album, the title track is available to stream on YouTube and Spotify. The album is also available to pre-save.