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Basque black metal project Aschen has unveiled the official video for "Azken Arbolak", a standout track from the band's acclaimed debut album, The Never Ending Search, available now via WormHoleDeath. The album's CD edition will be released worldwide on July 31, 2026, followed by the Japanese edition on August 28, 2026.
Watch the official video for "Azken Arbolak" below:
"Azken Arbolak" ("The Last Trees") is an ecological manifesto that denounces the destruction of the natural world at the hands of humankind while portraying the epic resistance of the last remaining trees. Described poetically as the guardians of the Earth, they connect the underworld with the stars and endure countless hardships across millennia. Ultimately, the song carries a message of hope, foretelling the triumph of nature over human arrogance and willful blindness.
The video was filmed in the forests of the Basque Country, with nearly all locations captured in the Nafarroa region.
Tracklist:
01. Sasi Santuaren Amiltzea
02. From the Depths of Decay
03. Azken Arbolak
04. Buried Name
05. Black Hounds of Justice
06. The Never Ending Search
07. The Forsaken Redeemer
08. The Last Glow
09. Amal
The Never Ending Search is available now on all digital platforms:
Stream or download: orcd.co/tnesalbum
Founded in 2022 by Mikel Telletxea (vocals, guitar, programming), Aschen has grown from a solo vision into a powerful creative partnership with the addition of bassist Atauzz (Korkut, Kurkuma, 2Sonte).
The duo recorded the debut at Atala Studios in Spain, ensuring the project’s raw energy was captured with precision. To achieve a massive, professional finish, the album was mastered by Toni Lindgren at the world-renowned Fascination Street Studios in Sweden, the same hands behind the sound of heavyweights like Dimmu Borgir, Katatonia, and Kreator.
The Sound of Aschen
Aschen’s approach to black metal is both aggressive and expansive. By blending traditional frost-bitten roots with doom-laden atmosphere and technical blast beats, the band creates a soundscape that is as melodic as it is punishing. Lyrically, they bridge the gap between English and Basque, exploring themes of psychological fracture and environmental decay that go far beyond standard genre tropes.
ONLINE
LINEUP
Mikel Telletxea – guitars, vocals, programming
Atauzz – bass
BIOGRAPHY/LOGO
Aschen is a black metal band from Pamplona, Navarre, Spain, formed in 2022 by guitarist, vocalist and programmer Mikel Telletxea. Emerging from the Basque underground, the project combines the cold aggression of traditional black metal with melodic passages, atmospheric depth and darker, doom-influenced elements.
The band initially took shape around Telletxea and bassist Igor Valle, with the pair developing material that would introduce Aschen's musical identity. Their first official release was the self-titled demo Aschen, issued independently on February 27, 2024. The demo presented an early version of the band's sound, built around raw black metal foundations while already displaying a strong melodic and atmospheric character.
Following the demo, Aschen underwent a lineup change when Valle was replaced by bassist Atauzz, also known for his involvement with bands including Korkut and 2sonT. The partnership between Telletxea and Atauzz established the core lineup that would take Aschen into its next stage.
Musically, Aschen draws heavily from the colder traditions of Scandinavian black metal while avoiding a strictly retro approach. Fast blast-beat driven sections and harsh vocals are balanced by slower, more oppressive passages, melodic guitar work and a pronounced sense of atmosphere. The band's compositions frequently move between aggression and melancholy, giving the music an introspective quality alongside its more violent black metal elements.
Lyrically, Aschen explores psychological and existential subjects as well as humanity's relationship with a deteriorating world. Rather than relying exclusively on traditional black metal themes, the band focuses on inner conflict, dissatisfaction, psychological fracture and environmental decay. Another distinctive element is the use of both English and Basque lyrics, reflecting the band's cultural background while broadening the conceptual scope of its music.
In August 2025, Aschen entered Atala Studios in Spain to record their first full-length album. The finished material was subsequently mastered by Toni Lindgren at the renowned Fascination Street Studios in Sweden, a studio associated with numerous major metal productions.
In early 2026, Aschen signed with Italian label WormHoleDeath for the worldwide release of their debut album. Ahead of the album, the band unveiled The Last Glow, a track portraying a future in which the sun has died and humanity desperately feeds a remaining flame in order to survive. The story serves as a metaphor for endless human dissatisfaction and the search for transformation from within.
Aschen's debut full-length, The Never Ending Search, was released on March 13, 2026. Featuring nine tracks, the album expanded considerably upon the ideas introduced on the band's demo, combining raw and melodic black metal with atmospheric weight, technical intensity and a more developed conceptual approach.
With The Never Ending Search, Aschen established themselves as a distinctive new voice within the Spanish and Basque black metal underground, blending the genre's traditional coldness and aggression with melody, introspection and a strong psychological dimension.
DISCOGRAPHY
Aschen (Demo, 2024)
The Never Ending Search (2026)
GENRE/COUNTRY
Black Metal
Spain
