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| "How red and full of truth are not the stories by the fires told? Absorbed and passed on by every dreamer Madly drunk from embers glow" |
The video, directed by Johan Bååth, who was also behind WATAIN's "Opus Diaboli" and "Outlaw" music video, showcases a selection of clips and images that honours the band's history and its various manifestations throughout the years, since the very early, primal stages of the band, through live and guests members who have become part of WATAIN during the band's growth, such as their brothers Selim Lemouchi and Set Teitan; up until its more recent embodiment, with H.Death and E.Forcas of Degial fame.
"I began writing "We Remain" in 2012, as a meditation on the concept of Mythopoeia; our mythical origins and how our understanding and approach to them is shaped and transformed throughout time", comments Erik Danielsson on the band's official statement presenting the single. "The lyric is built around the five elemental wings of the Pentagram, and the mysteries embedded in that ancient symbol. It is a song about forgotten things that ought to be remembered, the search for truths that were lost, of the ever burning flame that illuminates the darkness of times immemorial, the passing of aeons and and our ponderable place therein."
Very fittingly, the video alternates between images visualized in a trance-like state, and clips which instead show the reality of the band as touring musicians, among their fellows and collaborators, thus highlighting visually the double-folded nature of WATAIN, existing in its more transcendent, spiritual aspect as well as in its rawer, outward side, occupied in pragmatic deeds.
"We Remain" is a very peculiar piece and carries the listener in a completely immersive experience, with a brilliant combination of contemplative yet heavy riffs painted cleverly over a solemn atmospheric canvas, which conveys indeed a sense of reverence and awe that one feels when reflecting upon things that encompass human existence.
Further enriching this striking song, the superlative and always enchanting vocals of Farida Lemouchi, and a haunting guitar solo by Gottfrid Åhman: "A collaboration born out of a much treasured kinship", commented Erik Danielsson, adding that "we encourage anyone who is not yet familiar with their work to check out masterpieces such as "Come, Reap" and "Sister".
On a recent interview on Metal Devastation Radio, Erik also explained that he "was always very into the idea of collaborating and then, we had this song, "We Remain", which was anyway kind of different and it fit really well to ask her (Farida) for that particular song also because there is in the lyric a strong feminine element, it talks about a kind of veiled, forgetten Goddess, in a way; so we wanted a feminine element also in the performance. And it ended up being that it was her and our friend Gottfrid, who played in In Solitude, who were the guests on that song; which is also in itself a pretty cool thing because we have always had, since our three bands got to know each other, we've had a very strong bond, like a kind of triangular bond between those three bands, and that was a great thing to be able to accentuate with having them as guests in this particular song." (You can listen to the full interview at this link).
You can watch WATAIN's video for "We Remain" here below, taken from Nuclear Blast's YouTube channel, and find the single on all major platforms at this link.
"For what is truth but what we make it?
A tale deformed by wind and rain
By temple stone and eager flame
Concealed, in spirit
We remain"
A tale deformed by wind and rain
By temple stone and eager flame
Concealed, in spirit
We remain"
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