Two things always contribute to the creation of epic, original black metal…

One is location, and by being based in Colorado, Sar Isatum are able to sweep broad musical brush strokes across a vast vista, as musically, mentally, and physically impressive as the nearby Rocky Mountains which provide the ideal canvas for technical symphonic black metal band .

The second is lyrical inspiration. Sar Isatum eschew all the usual flogged-to-death lyrical clichés of black metal to take inspiration from a variety of sources. The very name Sar Isatum comes from the Sumerian dialect. It means King of Fire. Indeed, both the Sumerian and Annunaki empires provide strong lyrical inspiration.

Inspired by Emperor, Dark Funeral, Gorgoroth, Sothis and Craft, band member JP Dalkhu describes Sar Isatum’s music as “ethereal, nefarious, repugnant, abhorrent, cryptic.”

Sar Isatum have high expectations of their upcoming debut album, but at the same time, the band create music for themselves, not copying what has come before.That said, fans of various styles of black metal will find much to appreciate here. As Dalkhu so lyrically says Sar Isatum create “a variation of extreme and atmospheric black metal as if one went through a burning battlefield and witnessed horrid devastation.” Dalkhu feels that this is the best band its members have ever been a part of and are constantly evolving as musicians.

Lyrically, Demothi of Sar Isatum very much ploughs his own furrow, creating songs that feel as though they have always existed, a part of the fabric of space and time. “Sar Isatum’s lyrics are inspired by native folklore, science fiction, historical events, extraterrestrial theory and the reimagining of biblical happenings from outside points- of-view.”

Live, Sar Isatum transcends even their own recorded music. “We are gonna get on stage and take it on like a battle in a war. Expect an intense live show from us, like a fire destroying everything in its path.”

Sar Isatum’s debut album, Shurpu, will be released digitally on 17th November, followed by a physical release on December 22. You can hear a track from the album below!