Lebanese blackened death metal group Kaoteon are gearing up to release their latest full-length, Damnatio Memoriae. Today, Guitar World teamed up with the group to premiere the guitar playthrough for "Raging Hellfire." You can watch it above.
While extreme metal groups often encounter hostility from the mainstream music industry, and sectors of the general public outraged by their image and the content of their lyrics, few can say they've faced as much hostility as Kaoteon. In their native Lebanon (they've since relocated to the Netherlands), they were jailed for "devil worshipping" and attacked by religious groups; they've also put up with several police raids.
The band persevered in the face of oppression, and—after their move to the Netherlands—self-recorded Damnatio Memoriae with the help of Daniel Bergstrand (Behemoth, Dark Funeral, Dimmu Borgir).
“‘Raging Hellfire’ is a museum of fast melodic but yet brutal black metal riffs," guitarist Anthony Kaoteon told Guitar World. "You can take all 13 riffs in the song, play them through an orchestra and still get a dark epic symphony of destruction."
"My Ibanez Prestige neck allows a very comfortable grip, which doesn't apply to many guitars. I'm not tech-savvy so I still use the basics. Wolflust (our singer) hates my analog, passive, old-school distortion, but I enjoy how bright, crunchy and raw my distortion blazes out of my Seymour Duncan pickups and Blackstar amp. I hope you enjoy this track as much as I do."
You can preorder Damnatio Memoriae here. For more on Kaoteon, be sure to follow along on Facebook.
