1476 - In Exile
Therefore it is hardly surprising that a band hailing from the infamous town of Salem, Massachusetts such as 1476 have created an album, which is heading down a dark road. Yet "In Exile" is not telling stories about witches, ghouls, or tentacled beings emerging from the depth of the ocean. It is we, the people, who are on this path.

On "In Exile", each song represents a world of its own. It all started, when singer and multi-instrumentalist Robb Kavjian pondered upon that ancient question of where do people go when they die. In his mind, he started to imagine real persons and imaginary characters as mystical beings or deities; each with their own attributes and powers based on their individual traits. These avatars served as spiritual guides to their worlds during meditations that used visualisation techniques, and they also laid out their philosophies – not all of them agreeable to the musician but still dutifully recorded on this album.

This concept of individual worlds in the afterlife led to a stylistically quite diverse album, which does not make it easier to pin the sound of the band down with only a few words. "In Exile" contains elements of folk, rock, metal, punk, and also a healthy pinch of post-punk, which can be summed up loosely as 'wayward occult rock'.

Bands that have inspired Kavjian include SÓLSTAFIR, MOONSPELL, SAMHAIN & DANZIG, THE CLASH, CULT OF YOUTH, and HAGALAZ' RUNEDANCE among many others. Outside the sphere of music, Arthurian Myth and such artists as William Blake and Austin Osman Spare have also left traces. And if anybody catches glimpses of NEW MODEL ARMY and KILLING JOKE, it would hardly be surprising either.

There is probably something of each of the aforementioned in 1476, but at the same time, the duo does not sound like any of these. If THE POGUES had not a shred of Irishness in them and rather listened to rock, black metal, and post-punk, there is a slim chance that something comparable to "In Exile" might have come out of this musical marriage.

While previous albums were generally heading towards narrower stylistic directions that were based on the overarching theme of each record, "In Exile" is wonderfully all over the place. To create cohesion despite the individual nature of the songs, 1476 settled for the same sound sources, instruments, microphones, and effects on each track. Kavjian also kept the language and imagery used in the lyrics deliberately consistent.

1476 were founded by Robb Kavjian and percussionist and drummer Neil DeRosa in Salem, Massachusetts. The 'first’ album, which is still found being mentioned about everywhere, is officially no longer a part of the discography as "A Wolf's Age" (2009) was discontinued by the core duo. This attributes the role of the official debut to "Wildwood" (2012). This album was widely circulated in the underground of several scenes. The sophomore full-length was designed as a soundtrack for an exhibition in Salem, MA tellingly entitled "Edgar Allan Poe: A Life of Hope & Despair" (2014). With "Our Season Draws Near", 1476 returned to a more 'conventional' approach, at least in their terms in 2017.

With "In Exile", 1476 have unintentionally created their lyrically darkest album to date as all the more uplifting and vulnerable songs ended up being relegated to the bonus disc of the special edition without an original plan to do so.

That it happened this way might not have been blind chance. Whatever it is that leads artists to the dark side in New England has probably also touched 1476. So for all those, who like their music outside of genre confines and who always wanted Dante as their personal guide to the infernal depths: "In Exile" offers radiant paths to take into exciting worlds beyond our reality. But beware not to stray too far as you might easily get lost.

Release date: July 7, 2023
Style: Wayward occult rock
Label: Prophecy Productions

Tracklist
1. Lost in Exile
2. Lapis Fire: Through the Mist
3. Tristesse in Exile
4. Jade Fire: A Paragon
5. When Comes the Dawn?
6. May Mountains Never Fall
7. Where Kings Fall
8. A Queen in Exile
9. Beyond the Meadows, Beyond the Moors
10. Carnelian Fire: The Gallows
11. Where Are You?

Line-up
Robb Kavjian “ vocals, electric & acoustic guitars, bass, mandolin, hurdy gurdy, keys
Neil DeRosa “ drums, percussion

Guest musician
Nathan Richard – guitar lead on intro to 'Where Are You?'