In the world of hard and heavy sounds and impressive theatrical live stage shows, Gothminister have earned themselves a reputation
of being “one of the most iconic gothic/industrial metal acts”. Not only has their power-laden gothic/industrial metal with its
remarkable atmospheric density inspired their audiences since 1999, its eloquent fantasy stories have also transported them to
uncharted territories.
Now the band surrounding mastermind Bjørn Alexander Brem has announced its latest coup: ‘Pandemonium II: The Battle Of The
Underworlds’. The brand-new album release by the four-piece from Norway, is set to be unleashed in spring 2024, taking up where
its 2022 predecessor ‘Pandemonium’ left off. That recording – like the single ‘This Is Your Darkness’ – made it to number one on
the German Alternative Charts and was voted ‘Album Of The Year 2022’ at the Dark Music Awards. And if that was not enough –
Gothminister´s music videos for ‘Pandemonium’ and ‘Demons’ won stunning 19 film awards worldwide.
To ease the wait for their fans, Gothminister will release the first single/video clip ‘I Am The Devil’ on the 4th of August 2023,
followed by the second single ‘Battle Of The Underworlds’ on the 27th October. The arrival of the third single, ‘One Dark Happy
Nation’, has been scheduled for the 12th of January 2024, followed by the singles ‘I Will Drink Your Blood’ and ‘Tonight’ on the
15th of March and 17th of May 2024, respectively.
Singer and creator of Gothminister, Brem, recalls the initial inspiration for the new record: “It all started in autumn 2022 after
a festival in Helsinki. On our flight back to Norway, I suddenly came up with the chorus of ‘Battle Of The Underworlds’: ‘They
sent a witch, we brought a monster’. With that, the ‘Pandemonium’ successor was a done deal for me. An end to the story would have
been just too easy.”
In the subsequent weeks and months, Brem wrote the sequel to his ‘Pandemonium’ story and continued to develop the band’s music:
“The new material is faster and catchier than that of the predecessor album, but at the same time it sounds even more complex and
modern, with more sophisticated vocal melodies and challenging breaks,” he explains, adding, “at the same time the driving beats
for the dancefloor and the concept of ultra-low-sounding, tough guitar riffs are still present and link both recordings.”
All songs were composed and written by Bjørn Alexander Brem, who also produced the new release. The mix is courtesy of Henning
Verlage (Unheilig, Eisbrecher) and Norwegian sound engineer Morten Lund, who has worked with Morten Harket (A-ha), among others,
was in charge of mastering the material. The album´s final track, ‘In The End’, is an exciting collaboration between Brem and
Jesper Borgen (Alan Walker, Coldplay). Brem says: “We had a lot of fun challenging each other and pushing each other to find the
perfect hybrid between Jesper´s dance and pop influences and my industrial gothic metal influences.
Brem continues: “‘Pandemonium I’ helped me gain lots of valuable experience as a producer, which I was able to put to good use on
‘The Battle Of The Underworlds’. That’s also why our overall sound is heavier than ever before.”
The narrative of ‘The Battle Of The Underworlds’ takes place both before and after the death of the evil King Gothminister in
‘Pandemonium I’. During his time as emperor, his kingdom was attacked by an enemy underworld. During this battle between the two
underworlds, we learn things which will put King Gothminister´s death in a new perspective. What did really happen?

King Gothminister has risen from the dead and returns to put things back in their rightful place. Bjørn Alexander Brem comments:
“‘Pandemonium I’ left some important questions open, which we now answer on ‘Pandemonium II’!”