ULTHA is a five-piece black metal band from Cologne (Germany) founded in 2014 after the members' old bands, such as PLANKS, GOLDUST, ATKA, IRA, etc. disbanded. If you can imagine Leviathan and Emperor teaming up with Neurosis and Oranssi Pazuzu to play songs by Fields Of The Nephilim you might get an idea of Ultha's sound.
Sun Worship from Berlin, with their new album "Upon the Hills of Divination" (Vendetta Records - July 2024). If you’re looking for an uncompromising, unpredictable and unique blend of Death, Black and simply no-bullshit Metal, look no further.
ULTHA
Lyrically the band doesn't follow any classical metal clichés, instead ruminating about the inner darkness and sadness of our human struggle to find happiness and getting lost in its failures. The bands' songs are mostly between 10-20 minutes long and range from fast blast beats to slower and sludgier eruptions. With their hypnotic and melodic songs, as well as their captivating live shows, they were able to acquire a huge following in a short amount of time. By now Ultha has played more than 100 shows with bigger European and international acts in smaller clubs, on tours with bands such as Sun Worship (DE), Woe (US), Yellow Eyes (US), Unru (DE), as well as many appearances on selected festivals including Roadburn (NL), Brutal Assault (CZ), Party.San (DE), Dudefest (DE), Soulcrusher (DE), Saint Helena (DE), Doom Over Leipzig (DE), In Flammen (DE) and more. They established their own festival entitled Unholy Passion Fest in Cologne, which takes place annually in December.
Ultha are one of the most prolific bands in the German music underground with more than a dozen releases to their name in the ten years they’ve been together. Their critically acclaimed second record “Converging Sins” found immensely positive feedback from fans and critics alike, establishing them as a unique band with a very distinct style. This granted them a worldwide deal with CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS. Said label released the band's third album “The Inextricable Wandering” in fall of 2018 which furthered the level of quality brought to the table. In 2022 Ultha returned to their house label of Vendetta Records to finish the trilogy of interconnected records with “All That Has Never Been True”, which ranked in the top slots of a lot of significant music media outlets and lists of fans alike.
Sun Worship
"Upon the Hills of Divination" is Sun Worship’s second album as a duo. In the years since releasing 2019’s "Emanations of Desolation" they managed to hone their already elaborated drums'n'guitar assault to maximize impact. Combining versatile, restless and passionate drumming with detailed, varied and harsh, high-octane riffing there’s hardly a second to rest over the course of its playtime. And yet, there are rare moments of beauty, silence and calm emerging from the sonic abyss Sun Worship drag you into. A sense of wonder and relief contrasting the overall doomed caveman-atmospheres provided. "Upon the Hills of Divination" delivers a stripped-down, fierce and primal – yet sophisticated, confident and well-versed listening experience. If you’re looking for an uncompromising, unpredictable and unique blend of Death, Black and simply no-bullshit Metal, look no further.
* Ermäßigter Eintritt an der Abendkasse für Schüler*innen, Student*innen, Sozialhilfeempfänger*innen.
* Reduced admission at the box office for students and welfare recipients.
