On February 24th, 2025 internationally, Antiq is proud to present Arkaist‘s striking debut album, Aube Noire.
Arkaist is a black metal project founded in 2023 in Rennes by Beobachten and Maeror. Their musical and human encounter marked the starting point of a collaboration that gave birth to their first album, Aube Noire. Inspired by a growing atmosphere of anxiety, this opus explores the themes of decadence, loss of bearings, and growing isolation in a society in decline.
The founders of Arkaist are no strangers to the French black metal underground. Before setting up the project, each of them had played in a number of bands, including Azgarath, Hanternoz, and Créatures, enabling Arkaist to forge a sound identity that is both raw and well-thought-out, combining icy atmospheres and bestial fury.
Aube Noire, the band’s debut album, plunges listeners into a dark universe where humanity teeters on the brink of its own extinction. The lyrics evoke a world where values are crumbling, individualism reigns supreme, and society collapses under the weight of its own contradictions.
Aube Noire stands out as a manifesto for the end of times, a work deeply rooted in traditional black metal while exploring modern sounds.
Antiq is a label dedicated to the fully coherent concept of making music through sound, image, video, and attitude. They have been putting their entire existence into it since 2009. Over the years, Antiq have been identified as producers of not only perfectly coherent lyrics and themes through music, but also conceptual art and, of course, the manufacturing of beautiful objects. The label tries as much as it can to work with French creators, and if possible, with the smallest and most serious structures.
Tracklist:
01 Aube Noire 5:26
02 Ode à la haine 3:53
03 Prophète du Sang 5:09
04 Terre Ancestrale 7:05
05 Anachorète 5:40
06 Linceul d’Ether 8:15
07 Puer Aeternus 6:18
Credits/Notes:
Logo: Christophe Spajdel
Mixing & mastering: Sven Vinat at Howling Cliff Studio
Lineup:
Beobachten: lead guitar, bass, synth, backing vocals / arrangements + composition
Maeror: rhythm guitar, lead vocals / composition
Gwenc’hlann An Teñval: bass, secondary vocals, back-up vocals
Cryptic: drums