CHTHONIC's award-winning 2018 album Battlefields of Asura reissued on vinyl in September via Svart Records

CHTHONIC is a Taiwanese metal band formed in Taipei in 1995, with the members nowadays split between Helsinki and Taipei. Their 2018 album Battlefields of Asura is an award-winning release. With this album, CHTHONIC won their second Golden Melody Awards, Taiwan’s equivalent of the Grammy Awards.

CHTHONIC's lyrics are inspired by Taiwanese mythology, folk stories, and history, while its music incorporates elements of traditional Taiwanese folk music, enka, and the sorrowful melodies of Taiwanese opera. These are accompanied by traditional instruments such as the hena and koto. Also integral to CHTHONIC's sound are elements of symphonic black metal and melodic death metal, along with intense riffs and solos. Critics have attempted to categorize CHTHONIC as death metal, folk metal, or black metal, but the band has opted for the simpler label of metal. They've performed at many major festivals around the world, including Fuji Rock and Summer Sonic in Japan, Ozzfest in the US, Download in the UK, and Wacken Open Air in Germany, as well as having toured extensively across Europe, North America, and Asia over the years.

Prior to this album, CHTHONIC was signed to Spinefarm Records / Universal Music Group, under which they released three albums and toured internationally. After their 2014 European tour, the band decided to slow down, and vocalist Freddy Lim began his political career. He was elected to Taiwan's Parliament in 2016 and re-elected in 2020. During his tenure, he pushed for LGBTQ rights and gender equality, helping Taiwan become the first Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage, along with advocating for Indigenous rights and other human rights issues. Throughout this period, the band continued working on new music, and in 2018 they released Battlefields of Asura in Taiwan and Japan.

The album incorporates metaphors on human ideals and philosophies through depictions of Taiwanese deities. Musically, it blends East Asian elements with a mythological and ritualistic atmosphere. The lyrics explore themes of resistance, freedom, fraternity, and protection. Asian audiences may find deep cultural resonance in the album, while international listeners can be drawn into its rich spiritual and mythological world.

The album also features guest appearances by Randy Blythe of Lamb of God and Hong Kong pop singer Denise Ho. CHTHONIC and Lamb of God became close friends during Ozzfest 2007. In 2011, Randy appeared as a special guest at CHTHONIC’s Final Battle at Sing Ling Temple concert, and he even visited Taiwan while Freddy was serving in Parliament. Denise Ho, a Cantopop singer with numerous awards, was also selected as one of BBC’s 100 Women in 2016. She is currently facing political pressure in Hong Kong and is restricted from traveling abroad.

Finally, the album will be released on vinyl in Europe and North America in 2026, marking 13 years since CHTHONIC’s previous release in these regions, Bu-Tik (2013). The vinyl edition will also feature a specially updated version of the original cover artwork, offering an added benefit for collectors.

TAIWANESE CUSTOMERS! The album is distributed in Taiwan exclusively by the band and is availabe for pre-order at their own webstore:

www.ciongzo.com