CEBU CITY, PHILIPPINES — Fresh off a successful run at the global Wacken Metal Battle, Cebu progressive metal band SHVRIKEN is set to unleash new music in its double-track release Oni. The release consists of A Withering World I: Senju, an instrumental track that serves as an intro to the main track, Oni. The release will be available on all major music streaming and download platforms on August 30, 2024.
“Oni was the first ever song that the band composed,” describes vocalist Shawn Talacero. “The song is about a demon trying to get out of a man’s consciousness into his body and mind, eventually taking over his soul and personality.”
“[Wacken] made us realize that we are going in the right direction especially in putting the right amount of production in our songs,”
Dave Orat, SHVRIKEN guitarist
The band also included A Withering World I: Senju as an apt intro to Oni. The one-minute instrumental is the first component of a larger epic rock opera which the band hopes to include in their forthcoming debut album. “Senju [translated to ‘a thousand hands’] is about the protagonist’s village being on the verge of obliteration,” guitarist Dave Orat explains. “The enemy’s thousand hands are at the gates and is determined to conquer everything the protagonist has ever known.”
The yet untitled album was initially pegged for a 2024 release. As luck would have it, however, the band’s attention shifted to their Wacken Metal Battle campaign for most of the year, as they conquered the Philippines edition and were chosen to represent the country in the global finals in Hamburg, Germany.
The band clearly has no regrets about the change of plans as they eagerly stormed the Wacken Open Air stage where their energetic and unique performance wowed a global audience. While they did not end up placing in the final round which included the best metal acts from all corners of the world, they surely captured the attention and admiration of metalheads all over the Philippines and beyond.
SHVRIKEN’s debut album is now set to drop in the middle of 2025, with the band hard at work writing the final inclusions to the collection as well as the finishing touches on the production of the tracks already recorded.
“[Wacken] made us realize that we are going in the right direction especially in putting the right amount of production in our songs,” Orat says, on what to expect from the album. “So, it will always be a thing to consider during songwriting phases.”
Oni was mixed by renowned sound engineer Russell Manaloto, also a certified member of Cebuano rock royalty as the guitarist of Urbandub and Faspitch. Manaloto is expected to follow through as the primary engineer on SHVRIKEN’s forthcoming album.
Without a doubt, 2024 has been an eventful and productive year for SHVRIKEN and the release of Oni is yet another feather in the band’s cap as they continue to emerge as a driving force in the metal scene of Cebu and the Philippines.
Stream SHVRIKEN’s “Oni” on your favorite streaming platforms or download the release via Bandcamp.