German black metal band NARGAROTH has released “Requiem Germania”, the first single from their upcoming album Apocalyptic Steel, via Season of Mist Underground Activists.
Distinct from the album’s straightforward old-school metal approach, “Requiem Germania” delves into a slower, introspective space. Written entirely in German, the track reflects on the enduring pull of home, ancestral roots, and the weight of absence. The lyrics evoke harvest fields, ancestral graves, and rivers, expressing the tension between longing and the practical impossibility of return. Lead musician Ash confronts homesickness as a long-lasting, almost crystallized condition, intensified by years of distance from Germany.
The official video, directed by Claudio Marino and produced by Artax Film, alternates between a smoke-filled black metal performance and a slow narrative of traditional German garments being put on, each layer symbolizing a step back toward a life left behind.
Apocalyptic Steel’s production spans over a decade: recorded initially in 2014 at Trident Studios (Pacheco, California) with Juan Urteaga, drums re-recorded in 2022 at Skeleton Key Studios (Las Vegas) with Rylie Ellen Wechta, and vocals, mixing, and mastering completed in 2025 at AMP Studios (Duisburg, Germany) with Jens Forster. Artwork contributions include Felipe Mora (cover), Anne-Kristin G. (CD artwork), and Jenglot Hitam (booklet), with band photography by David Perga.
Watch the official video: