Агапэ

Founded in 2008 in Saint Petersburg, Epitimia has released six full-length albums, among them Faces of Insanity (2012) and the ambitious double album (Un)reality (2014) on Hypnotic Dirge. This September the band returns with the two-track EP Тяготение (Attraction), their first new recording since 2020’s Allusion. Clocking in at under 20 minutes, the release offers a concise introduction to Epitimia’s current sound - marked by the interplay of harsh male vocals and clean female vocals - and serves as a precursor to a full-length album planned for 2027.

The new EP was shaped over many years, drawing on musical motifs and phrases composed as far back as 2014. The bulk of the work was completed three years ago, with the material only recently finalized.

Thematically, Тяготение is about what constitutes the deepest human connection. It explores states of absolute self-sacrifice, unconditional acceptance, spiritual devotion, and the eternal striving toward an ideal. Together, these songs explore the mysterious nature of true intimacy, from complete, dissolving oneness to the recognition of that feeling’s ultimate inscrutability.