Hear Vouna's Blackened-Doom Album Inspired by Greek Goddess of Fate

As Vouna, composer and multi-instrumentalist Yianna Bekris delves into dark, gothic, synth-laden territory thick with atmospheric black metal and thunderous doom. Atropos — the project's new five-track concept record — is named for the Greek fate who cut the thread of life thus determining the final fate for mortals, conveying the inevitability of death. Today (July 13th), Revolver is proud to premiere the full album, which included a guest vocal spot from Wolves in the Throne Room's Nathan Weaver on "Vanish." Stream the it below. 

Atropos is due out July 16th via Profound Lore Records. You can order a copy here.

"Atropos was the Greek fate who cut the threads of life," Bekris tells us of the LP's title and theme. "Without really intending to, the album became a tapestry of the emotions I have encountered myself or observed in others when faced with death.

"The isolation and uncertainty of the contemporary era left their marks on this record and strengthened the portrayal of these emotions in the music. I named the album after her to represent the inevitability of mortality, and to represent my own deep reflection on the subject during its creation."

With that in mind, Bekris also shared three facts you might not have known about death that she gleaned from her research and while creating the album. Check them out below.

1. Many dying people have vivid end-of-life visions
Many people in the months, weeks, or days before the end of their lives, experience end-of-life visions. These are waking visions in which the dying person will see and often interact with deceased loved ones, including pets, as well as angels and spirits. They are quite common and can assist the dying in crossing over peacefully.

2. Near-death experiences are different for those actually dying
Not all people who have a near-death experience (NDE) are actually near physiological death. A group of researchers found that when comparing subjects who had NDEs and were not near death with those actually near death, those near death were significantly more likely to report enhanced light and cognition. The researchers suggested that the paradox of enhanced cognition occurring with degraded brain functioning may support transcendental explanations for NDEs. Furthermore, induced NDEs (through drugs, electric charges, or cerebral hypoxia) differ significantly from natural NDEs in that they do not possess the same panoramic and transcendent characteristics.

3. Potential lifespan and risk of all-cause-mortality can be assessed with a blood test
Scientists have thoroughly studied biomarkers of aging. One such biomarker is the methylation of DNA, which occurs when a methyl group is added to a molecule of DNA. There is evidence that DNA methylation patterns as observed through a blood test may be more reliable at predicting time to death than risk factors and chronological age. This is also known as the epigenetic clock.