ON THORNS I LAY are Greek titans. The band came up through the underground during the early '90s, in the wake of Nightfall, Septic flesh and Rotting Christ. But while those bands were swayed more by symphonic and black metal, these Athenians developed a taste for the gothic. Which makes sense. After all, they are named after a Shakespearean sonnet. Now, 30 years and ten albums later, On Thorns I Lay have signed with Season of Mist. It's fitting then that their first offering for the label is a self-titled album.

Lead single "Newborn Skies" epitomizes the way On Thorns I Lay conducts death and doom metal into an atmospheric thunderstorm. A pale wan of keyboard casts a brooding shadow, while riffs reign down like lightning bolts.

But 'On Thorns I Lay' pushes the band to even greater heights. "Fallen From Grace" opens the album with a harrowing tribute to all those who have suffered from wars and genocides, but the swelling, muscular riff and smokey orchestral atmosphere just keep climbing and climbing, hearkening back to the halcyon days of early 90s Peaceville Death-Doom.

"Thorns of Fire" is the album's grand finale. So, it's fitting that the song leaves us with a dark and doomy depiction of our final days. "This song is about the crimes humanity has committed against Nature", the band says. Cymbals crash with the impending force of rising tides, while the riffs fall like acid rain, leaving no choice but to bang our heads as we face our inevitable demise.

Track list:
1. Fallen from Grace (8:07)
2. Newborn Skies (4:44)
3. Crestfallen (8:08)
4. Among the Wolves (7:38)
5. Raise Empires (7:18)
6. Thorns of Fire (7:23)
Total: 58:54

Style: Death-doom
FFO: Paradise Lost (early), Anathema (early), Septic flesh, My Dying Bride, Nightfall, Swallow the Sun

On Thorns I Lay started as a Death metal band together with other cult bands in Greece in the early 90’s such as Rotting Christ, Septic Flesh, Necromantia, Nightfall and started to spread their name in the local and global underground scene.

The Athenian band have released 9 albums so far such as “Orama”, “Crystal Tears” and “Aegean Sorrow” gaining great praise. The band have shared the stage with artists such as Dream Theater, In Flames, Anathema, Amorphis, Katatonia, Rotting Christ, Tiamat, The Gathering, Satyricon, Septic Flesh and many more. The band’s last album “Threnos” (2020) followed the path of atmospheric, yet emotional Doom Death Metal – paying tribute to the roots and representing the trademark sound of the band once again. ON THORNS I LAY continue to tell dense stories of loss and despair.

After their mini tour at the Baltic states with Rotting Christ in 2022, On Thorns I Lay finished the recordings of their 10th album and first for Season of Mist. The self-titled LP pushes death-doom to epic heights, casting a newborn Gothic glow over muscular riffs and cavernous vocals hearkening back to the halcyon days of early ‘90s Peaceville death-doom.

Current line-up:
Peter “Invoker” Miliadis: Vocals, bass (Dimlight, ex-Slaveatgod)
Chris Dragamestianos: Guitar
Nikolas Paraskevopoulos: Guitar (Dimlight, Yoth Iria)
Kostas Mexis: Bass (Aetherian, ex-Black Path)
Antonis Ventouris: Keyboard
Stelios Darakis: Drums (Dexter Ward, ex-Sacred Outcry, The Eternal Suffering, ex-Mortal Torment, ex-Lloth)

Recording line-up:
Peter “Invoker” Miliadis: Vocals, bass (Dimlight, ex-Slaveatgod)
Chris Dragamestianos: Guitar
Nikolas Paraskevopoulos: Guitar (Dimlight, Yoth Iria)
Antonis Ventouris: Keyboard
Stelios Darakis: Drums (Dexter Ward, ex-Sacred Outcry, The Eternal Suffering, ex-Mortal Torment, ex-Lloth)

Guest musicians
Fanny Melfi - Fallen from Grace
Labros Kiklis - Fallen from Grace 
Stavros Papagiannakopoulos - Thorns of Fire, Crestfallen 
Ilias Mantikos - Thorns of Fire
Katerina Tzitzou - Fallen from Grace
Irina Dimaki - Fallen from Grace
Anna Thana - Fallen from Grace
Aris Karatzas - Crestfallen, Newborn Skies, Raise Empires, Among the Wolves

Recording Studio: Devasoundz Studios
Producer: Fotis Benardo
Mix/Mastering: Fotis Benardo
Cover artwork: Dimitris Tzortzis

Pre-order: https://shop.season-of-mist.com/list/on-thorns-i-lay-on-thorns-i-lay
Pre-save: https://shop.season-of-mist.com/list/on-thorns-i-lay-on-thorns-i-lay

Formats:
CD Digipak
Digital download
Vinyl Gatefold (Black)
Vinyl Gatefold (Gold)
Vinyl Gatefold (Blade Bullet)

Follow On Thorns I Lay
http://www.onthornsilay.net/
http://onthornsilay.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/onthornsilay/
https://www.instagram.com/onthornsilayofficial/
https://twitter.com/onthorns
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7bGopU168qloFmaY1OcSwv