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Formed early in the 2010s, Ellende is the creation of one Lukas Gosch, a multi-talented vocalist, instrumentalist and visual artist from Austria. Recruiting a full line-up of musicians in order to perform live, a number of these also being in the ranks of death metal band Nekrodeus, the band now performs on stage regularly, their next appearance of 2025 being at London’s Cosmic Void Festival.

With a dreamy and melancholic, yet sometimes fast-paced and aggressive, sound that combines elements from the worlds of depressive, atmospheric, and post-black metal, the band has drawn comparisons to fellow Austrians Harakiri for the Sky and Karg – both of whom have also overlapped with Ellende in terms of live line-ups. The most recent release, last year’s Todbringerin, was also somewhat unusual, being a complete re-recording of the band’s second studio album Todbringer. We caught up with the band for a quick conversation just as they announced their forthcoming opus.

Cult Never Dies: It’s been over a year since the release of the Todbringerin album, itself a revisiting of the Todbringer from 2016. With the benefit of time, how do you feel about the record? Obviously, the circumstances around it are a little unusual, can you give us the background on the endeavour and the album’s relationship to the original Todbringer?

L.G.: “Despite winning a lawsuit years ago, re-recording was the only way to get my records back. I have published all things related to this on social media already in detail, not that long ago. If people are interested, they can check what happened in detail and some photos of the official verdicts there. Looking at the outcome, I think we paid tribute to it, and I’m very happy. Some people stick to the old record for nostalgic reasons, some appreciate the new finesse, atmosphere, and experience. I can relate to both sides. But I see no problem here as both versions exist in parallel. Nothing was taken from the world; it’s an addition. And I finally have my record back in my own hands.”

Ellende are often described as ‘post-black metal’. What are your thoughts on this somewhat contentious label in 2025?  Are you comfortable with people’s perception of the band, and who would you consider your peers to be right now?

“I barely think about things like that. I have no control over how Ellende is perceived from the outside. I just follow what I desire, with no boundaries. Some records lean towards one side or the other, and they incorporate classical instrumentation. In a society where outrage over every little thing is so present, it feels more important than ever to make your own path and give less fucks. Ellende is blessed with a strong supporting international community, and I’m very proud of that.”