Norwegian black metal outfit Mannkvern are preparing to release their debut full-length, The Harlot’s Wake. Masterminded by Orkana V (Man Gremmes Kan, Nattsol, ex-Ragnarok live), the project took six years to materialise following his move from Norway to Poland, turning what started as a solo studio effort into a proper studio-bound group.

Spanning seven tracks and running just past forty minutes, the album attempts to blend Eastern European black metal, traditional Norwegian riffs, and old hymnal structures. Recruiting session drummer K. Voster to handle the kit, the material bypasses the usual satanic posturing to focus on literary and theological bleakness, taking lyrical cues from Dostoevsky, Orwell, and the New Testament to map out humanity’s inevitable return to primitive habits.

To launch the record, the project has dropped lead single The Former Things Have Passed Away, a track built on manic pacing and desperate scripture recitations. The rest of the release brings in guest vocalists from Noen Hater Oss, Mother Ov Light, Grave Silence, and Antrisch to throw a few different styles of screaming at the wall over the guitar work.

While physical pressings are earmarked for early next year, a live line-up is currently being assembled with plans to hit stages in 2027.

The Harlot’s Wake drops December 4th.