Blackened death thrash conjurors Morbikon return with the third chapter of their animated medieval-fantasy saga — this time for ‘Flames That Bind and Shadows Cast,’ taken from their new full-length Lost Within the Astral Crypts, out now on Tankcrimes.
The project — spearheaded by Phil “Landphil” Hall (Municipal Waste, Cannabis Corpse, Iron Reagan), with Mathias “Vreth” Lillmåns (Finntroll, …And Oceans) on vocals — has been sharpening its icy hybrid of ’90s Scandinavian black metal, melodic death metal, and venomous thrash since its 2022 debut. But Astral Crypts, which earned the #33 spot on Decibel’s Top 40 Albums of 2025, pushes Morbikon into darker, faster, more atmospheric territory than ever.
And the visual world keeps pace. Hall, who taught himself animation during the first album cycle, continues expanding Morbikon’s evolving mythos with each new video. ‘Flames That Bind and Shadows Cast’ marks the third installment in that universe — a deeper dive into the spectral architecture and occult forces that have threaded through the project since day one.
“I am thrilled to present everyone with the third installment of my medieval fantasy animated series featuring the music of Morbikon,” Hall tells Decibel. “I love getting a chance to dive back into the universe that is building in these videos. I have learned so much since creating the first video four years ago and I hope that it shows!”
Musically, the track hits the sharper, more vicious end of the Astral Crypts spectrum — a rush of cold-melodic violence, rippling tremolo arcs, and the kind of atmosphere Hall describes as “soaked in classic ’90s underground blasphemy.” Add in drums by Pierce Williams (Aenigmatum), solos by Blake Hibberd, and production by Rob Cauldwell and Alan Douches, and the result is one of the record’s defining moments.
Today, Decibel opens the portal to the next chapter.
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The post Video Premiere: Morbikon – ‘Flames That Bind and Shadows Cast’ appeared first on Decibel Magazine.