CROCELL
Danish death/black metal force CROCELL return with their seventh full-length album, “Swarm Of Insects”, set for release via Emanzipation Productions. Marking nearly two decades of the band’s existence, “Swarm of Insects” picks up where 2024’s “Of Frost, of Flame, of Flesh” left off, delivering a fierce yet nuanced blend of brutality and melody in classic Crocell fashion, while pushing into new creative territory.
“Swarm Of Insects” is the first album written with guitarist Mads Bertram following the departure of Rasmus “Hexen” Henriksen (RIP) in 2023. The record sees the band refining their signature sound while allowing fresh ideas to emerge, resulting in a work that feels both rooted and reinvigorated. And, for the first time in their career, Crocell recorded the entire album themselves. Drummer Andreas Posselt comments: “We have recorded vocals, bass or guitar on our own on some previous albums, but this time we wanted to take on the drums as well. It is undeniably more extensive, but we received great advice from Lasse, and it was a welcome challenge that gave us maximum freedom and control”.
The final mix and mastering were handled by Lasse at Ballade Studios (known for work with Afsky, Strychnos, Konvent and Slægt), resulting in a production that is both violent, vivid and razor-sharp. Vocalist Asbjørn Steffensen elaborates: “There was a red thread from the first raw demos through pre-production to the final recording. Along the way we adjusted song structures and details in the individual instruments, while also experimenting with the overall sound and various effects. Early in the process we already felt we were working directly with the finished product, and at the same time it was easier to carry spontaneous and imperfect ideas from the creative phase into the final result”.
From the towering opening track “Sarcophagus”, through the furious sonic assaults of “Traitors’ Blood”, to the atmospheric and ominous closer “Volcano”, “Swarm of Insects” offers dark music for dark times. The lyrics explore tyranny, oppression, betrayal and demagoguery – mirrored in the unsettling artwork by NNart, which seems to pull the viewer straight into the abyss. The album title evokes images of biblical plagues, but may just as well reflect a humanity blindly swarming and feeding on whatever scraps are thrown its way.
Nearly 20 years after their formation, Crocell deliver with “Swarm Of Insects” an acid-etched and uncompromising slab of death/black metal of the highest caliber; an album that will undoubtedly resonate with both longtime followers and new listeners alike.
“Swarm Of Insects” will be released on gatefold LP (orange/black marble vinyl, limited to 300 copies), digipack CD and digital formats on 25.05.2026, via Emanzipation Productions.
Lineup:
Andreas Posselt – drums
Tommy Christensen – guitars
Asbjörn Steffensen – vocals
Mads B. H. Gath – guitars
Uffe Laustsen-Jensen – bass