Listen: Shepherds Of Cassini - Raijin (UTR Premiere)

Auckland-based outfit Shepherds Of Cassini are sharing adventurous new single 'Raijin' as they prepare to unveil sophomore album Helios Forsaken next week. Promising to be an odyssey through dark, menacing soundscapes to the hypnotic and exotic, the new record builds on the quartet's 2013 self-titled debut, which gained attention for fusing metal influences with a complex blend of middle-eastern riffs and psychedelic atmospheric experimentation. As with the first album, Helios Forsaken was recorded and mixed by Dave Rhodes at Depot Sound Recording before heading to Chris Chetland at Kog Studio for mastering.

The band say the process of writing was similar to their debut, involving an amalgamation of ideas and concepts from all four members. "The material took form in an organic yet composed and thought-out fashion, as we challenged ourselves to take a step further in each extreme direction explored previously," writes bassist Vitesh Bava, who is joined in the group by Omar Al-Hashimi (drums), Brendan Zwaan (guitar, vocals) and Wellington-based violinist Felix Lun. Bava says that although the album is quite sonically varied, 'Raijin' is a good example of what to expect. Soak it up below...

Shepherds of Cassini are holding their album release show this Saturday 11th July at Backbeat in Auckland, with support from Saturnian Noise Collective and Hide and Tallow. Head over here for more information.