With
the release of their fourth album, Viribus Unitis only hours away, 1914
release one last crushing single. “1918 Pt 3: ADE (A Duty to Escape)”
enlists Aaron Stainthorpe’s (formerly of my Dying Bride, High Parasite)
hauntingly dark vocals to their sound storm. Fusing blackened death-doom
with vivid historical storytelling, they deliver a crushing portrayal
of resistance and survival. We follow the concept album’s protagonist,
Ivan, through his escape from devastating captivity into new horrors of
war—uncompromising, evocative, and unforgettable. Along with the single
comes an animated video by Costin Chioreanu.
Viribus
Unitis deepens 1914’s commitment to historical authenticity, both
lyrically and conceptually. Told through the personal accounts of a
Ukrainian soldier in the K.u.K. army, the album follows real events,
tracing a timeline from 1914 to 1919, and paints a grim journey through
the war’s rise, climax, and hollow aftermath. The album will be out
tomorrow, November 14, 2025 via Napalm Records.
k.u.k. Galizisches IR Nr.15, Gefreiter, Ditmar Kumarberg about “1918 Pt 3: ADE (A Duty to Esscape)”:
“The
final single and video, ‘1918 Pt. 3: ADE (A Duty to Escape)’, was
created in collaboration with two geniuses: the master of animation,
Costin Chioreanu, and the genius of liturgical, soul-piercing vocals
that you could never mistake for anyone else—Aaron Stainthorpe.
This
is a story of unbreakable will to live, of the burning thirst for
freedom and love. A story of faith in friendship, and the strength that
comes from those who stand beside you. Where one falls, together, you
rise. You conquer the freezing mountains, the deep snows, and even
captivity. Beside you are your brothers-in-arms—the ones who lift you in
the darkest hour.
‘Those
who survived enemy fire – refuse to lose their friends’: And when old
values collapse, and the world you knew fades—the only thing holding you
together is love. Love for a daughter. For a wife. For your family.
‘The
only hope that I care is to meet my daughter and wife’: Love,
friendship, and mutual support—the things that make us human. Especially
in times of war.”