HEILUNG have released “Tenet”, the third single taken from their upcoming album “Drif”, due for release on August 19th through Season Of Mist.
HEILUNG comment on the track: “Our third single release is a palindrome. All individual musical parts, melodies and instruments (and even at times the lyrics) play the same both forward and backwards. The song is based on the ‘Sator Square’, the earliest datable two-dimensional palindrome, first found in Herculaneum (Italy), a city buried under the ashes of the erupting Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, at that time part of the flourishing Roman Empire. What is particularly interesting with this palindrome is that not only does it read forwards and backwards but also vertically in both directions.
S A T O R
A R E P O
T E N E T
O P E R A
R O T A S
The unusual melody of the piece is created with a special code system employing numbers, runes and Latin letters taken from the square itself, and deciphered in a complicated system to give birth to HEILUNG’s first melodic palindrome. Love from HEILUNG.”
HEILUNG’s music has risen far above the underground and has transcended into a greater world. Even a global pandemic couldn’t slow down HEILUNG’s success; it only strengthened them and gave them the gift of time to complete work on album number three, ‘Drif.’
According to Greek philosopher Pythagoras, three is a divine number, signifying harmony, wisdom, and understanding. He also believed it to be the number of time – past, present, future; birth, life, death; beginning, middle, end. Purposefully or not, ‘Drif’ embodies this philosophy, putting forth a divine work of art that ties together the beginning of civilization with the modern world today. Make no mistake, HEILUNG still does not represent any modern political or religious ideology, but rather delivers a humbling reminder of where we came from. “Remember, we are all brothers. All people, beasts, tree and stone and wind, we all descend from the one great being that was always there, before people lived and named it, before the first seed sprouted.”
HEILUNG previously revealed announced new updates for their European tour in 2022 and 2023.
The band comments on the tour: “It has been wonderful to feel the ground shake under our feet again on the various festival stages around Europe this summer and experiencing the joy of all of you being able to reunite, sing and dance in large gatherings again. It has been like a colorful sunrise after a long night. We are now ready for our next step on our continent: The Europe Tour. We would like to give thanks to everyone working hard behind the curtains for the past two/three years to make this happen. It has not been easy sorting out as the world has changed. On this tour we are bringing you our newest studio album ‘Drif’. ‘Drif’ means ‘gathering’, just like we will gather again to heal, bond, and create, and be greater together.
We are deeply honoured to reveal that the amazing artists Eivør and Lili Refrain will be joining us on this tour, we look forward spending time with you on the road. This will truly be a once in a lifetime experience. See you all out there. Love HEILUNG.”
HEILUNG means “healing” in the German language and this also describes the core of the band’s sound. The listener is supposed to be left at ease and in a relaxed state after a magical musical journey that is at times turbulent.
HEILUNG reach far back in time to the Northern European iron age and Viking period to create their sound experience. The band utilizes many means in their songs: from running water via human bones, reconstructed swords and shields up to ancient frame drums as well as bronze rings. It’s difficult to categorize a band that uses such a variety of influences, traditions, and instruments to create immersive soundscapes. Thus, the band has described their own music as “amplified history” to befit their sounds.
“Drif” track listing:
- Asja
- Anoana
- Tenet
- Urbani
- Keltentrauer
- Nesso
- Buslas Bann
- Nikkal
- Marduk
You can listen to “Tenet” in the following video:
