Interviews About Albums: Thy Despair - Багряний Обрій (2025)

In this new interview, we sat down with the Ukrainian Dark Metal band, Thy Despair, to ask questions about their album "Багряний Обрій". 

1. What can you say about this new EP/CD?

Our new EP “Багряний Обрій” (“Crimson Horizon”) will be released on 12th December 2025 together with the official videoclip. This is the first work with our new vocalist, Marianelle, and the first release since the album “The Song of Desolation” (2020). The album consists of two tracks with Ukrainian lyrics: “Безвихідь і Страх” (“Fear and Despair”) and “Сокіл” (“Falcon”). They are Ukrainian versions of the songs released in our album "The Song of Desolation” (2020,) but with a totally new view on music sound and arrangements.

2. What is the meaning of the EP name?

The name “Crimson Horizon” unites two thematically opposite stories into a single coherent work of art.

Crimson is the color of blood:

• the blood craved by the vampire, the main character of the song Fear and Despair,

• and the blood shed by the Ukrainian people in their fight against the russian invaders, described in the song Falcon.

3. Who is the composer of the CD?

I, Nephilim, am the composer and the lyric writer of all the songs of Thy Despair. Navka, the keyboard player, made a great contribution to music arrangement, and all the band members, Alex, Anton, and Marianelle, contributed a part of themselves in these two tracks too.

4. If you had to pick one song, which one would you pick?

Both songs are great, but I would like to highlight Falcon. It is dedicated to the eternal struggle of the Ukrainian people for freedom. It is a hymn of resilience, strength of spirit, and faith in victory.

5. Is there a special message in this EP/CD? If there is what it is?

The message is that the Ukrainian people are strong, brave, and united. Neither mythic shadow beings nor real-life monsters from Russia will ever break us, our sovereign country, and our right to live in it as the Ukrainian nation.

6. Are there some lyrics that you'd love to share?

The lyrics in Ukrainian will be published together with the release. For now, I can say that they are dark, beautiful, and filled with strong metaphors and symbolism.

7. Which inspirations have been important for this album? Like musically or friends, family, someone you'd love to thank especially?

Both lyrics were written in 2014 when Russia first showed its aggression towards Ukraine, annexing Crimea and starting the hybrid war in the Donbas region. I wish none of the musicians had a source of inspiration like that, when friends are killed by russian soldiers and the Russian terrorist state destroys the whole Ukrainian civil cities to the ground and commits genocide of our people.

We'd love to thank Ukrainian military forces for protecting our land, sky, and cities. Their selfless work allowed this album to see the light of day.

8. Something to add?

The work on this EP album was done under the strikes of Russian Shahed drones and missiles on civil buildings and infrastructure, through electricity blackouts, water and heat supply interruptions. Our video clip on the song Fear and Despair was filmed during an electricity blackout, using a power generator, and our sound engineer had to work at night on mixing the album because this was the only time when the power supply was stable. The war continues, but the Ukrainian people stand with their heads proudly raised. Support Ukraine in our defence, support the Ukrainian army, and support Ukrainian metal bands.