Atlanta-based black metal band CLOAK have announced their fourth studio album, Above, Below, & Through, scheduled for release on February 12, 2027, through Metal Blade Records. The record marks the band’s debut for the label and introduces their latest lineup, alongside the release of the first single and accompanying music video, “Nigredo – Initium.”
Formed in 2013, CLOAK have developed a sound that combines black metal with elements of traditional heavy metal and dark, atmospheric arrangements. Their upcoming album follows 2023’s Black Flame Eternal and represents a new chapter for the quartet, both musically and conceptually.
According to the band, Above, Below, & Through builds upon the foundation established by its predecessor while exploring new creative territory.
“Above, Below, & Through takes everything that was great about our last LP, Black Flame Eternal, and amplifies it completely, while still standing as an album of its own.”
The album introduces drummer Matt Morris and bassist Rafay Nabeel alongside founding members Scott Taysom on vocals and guitar and Max Brigham on guitar. The lineup changes played an important role in shaping the material, with the band approaching the songwriting process from a renewed perspective.
Throughout the album’s development, CLOAK began exploring themes of liminality and duality, focusing on the boundaries separating opposing states of existence. These ideas gradually became the conceptual foundation of the eight-track record.
Taysom explained:
“The main concepts of the songs were dealing with pathways between life and death, realms between dream and consciousness, shifts between beast and man, and the juxtaposition of shadow and light as spiritual guides.”
He added that the album’s title reflects both a sense of completeness and the transitional nature of the band’s creative process, with those concepts represented throughout the compositions.
“Nigredo – Initium” introduces the album’s concept
The first single, “Nigredo – Initium,” was the initial composition developed by the band’s current lineup. Its title and lyrical themes establish the starting point for the album’s broader narrative.
CLOAK commented on the track:
“A tale of being marked from the beginning. ‘Nigredo – Initium’ was the first song we started working on as a new lineup, which is very fitting considering the translated title. It is the initial door that opens to the world that is Above, Below, & Through, and the start of a new dark age.”
Musically, the upcoming record features a production approach intended to emphasize the weight and clarity of each instrument. The band describes the drums as powerful without sounding overly processed, while the bass and guitars have been given greater prominence in the overall mix.
Above, Below, & Through was recorded with producer Alex Parra and drum engineer John Douglass. The album’s cover artwork was created by Jordan Barlow.
The record will be available digitally, on CD, and in several vinyl editions, including Electric Smoke and Metallic Marble variants for the United States, alongside European pressings featuring black vinyl and two limited color editions.
Above, Below, & Through Tracklist
- Nigredo – Initium
- Of Shadow & Sleep
- Into Death’s Light
- Horrors Profound
- Levitation
- The Arcane Beckoning
- The Mare
- Above, Below, & Through
CLOAK lineup
- Scott Taysom: Vocals, guitar
- Max Brigham: Guitar
- Rafay Nabeel: Bass
- Matt Morris: Drums
Upcoming live performances
CLOAK are scheduled to perform at Mass Destruction Metal Fest in Atlanta on November 7, 2026, before returning to the stage for a series of East Coast dates in January 2027.
The January performances include stops in Charlotte, Richmond, Baltimore, and Raleigh, giving audiences an opportunity to see the band’s current lineup ahead of the album’s release.
Above, Below, & Through arrives February 12, 2027, via Metal Blade Records.
The official video for “Nigredo – Initium” is available now, and album preorders are open through the label.
Preorder Above, Below, & Through