“Araphel” (or “arafel”) is a Hebrew word for “darkness.” More specifically, it is a thick, black fog that enshrouds God. As used in sacred texts, “araphel” is more than a simple adjective—it refers to the location of God within the darkness. For humans, the absence of light generally elicits fear. However, there are some who find within that same darkness—the darkness found in the deepest recesses of the mind or that arising out of harrowing external circumstances—sublime sensations and concepts akin to the divine. Since its inception, the thematic focus of black metal has been predominantly metaphysical, an exploration of the shadow side of religion exalting lust, avarice, and blasphemy. As Western culture drifts unmoored toward collective nihilism, the spiritual narratives that once provided the fuel on which the genre has long burned have begun to run dry. Araphel represents the inward shift toward the individual, the subjective interiority of man in relation to the meaninglessness of the many dogmas of today (such as work-consume-reproduce loops, religion, greed…) and the cruelty of the world around him. Conjured by multi-instrumentalist Santo (bass/drums/vocals)—known for his prior involvement in notable Italian underground acts such as Demonomancy, Into Darkness, and Thulsa Doom—this project explores the inherent solitude of being and the scenes of abject absurdity projected around us. With this EP, entitled “Old Comet Transition,” Araphel announces its presence with three songs that, taken together, are as much a philosophical manifesto as a musical one. The EP opens with the title track, evoking the path of an ancient comet across the celestial dome as a portal to gnosis. It represents both a beacon of knowledge and a humble reminder of the possibility to change and coexist in a world that does not fit our being, changing and refusing the toxic traits of living, leaving apart the “ephemeral fires” that consume us. The second track draws upon the myth of Sisyphus, as examined by Camus, in which for a fleeting instant at the top of the hill, the condemned man, unburdened by the great stone, revels in his fleeting freedom before repeating the agonizing, endless, and futile act of lifting it once again. As Sisyphus fights against the absurd, Santo finds both relief and power in seeing the world from a different perspective, embracing the absurd and feeling contempt for those who do not have the will to break the chains that hold them prisoner to an oppressive reality. The demo closes with a nod to Zemial—one of Araphel’s clearest sonic antecedents—by way of a faithful cover of “Fullmoon Necrophilia” from the band’s 2003 MLP “Face of the Conqueror.” Recorded in the studio and featuring contributions by members of Into Darkness and Extirpation, “Old Comet Transition” is a well-produced, superbly composed demo that foreshadows the impending arrival of an upcoming full-length release by this phenomenal new project.