If you’ve been craving something a little stranger, a little older, and a lot more atmospheric than whatever algorithm-bait dropped on your feed this morning, the Dark Hive is open for business. Ethereal instrumental folk duo Tabernis have just released “Apes Saltis,” the third single from their forthcoming debut album, Seasons of the Dark Hive — out this Friday, April 24 via Napalm Records.

Built on the duo’s signature foundation of bagpipe and davul, “Apes Saltis” is the album’s closing track, a festive farewell tied to the Collectio season — the harvest before winter. It’s the sound of the Beekeepers sealing their work and slipping back into the shadows, leaving only the melody behind. As Tabernis put it: “The Beekeepers fade away, but their song remains. Join the Dark Hive.”

Watch the official video for “Apes Saltis” here:

Comprised of Noxifer on bagpipe and Umbrae on davul (both, naturally, Beekeepers), Tabernis have carved out a niche that is equal parts medieval reenactment, dark folk ritual, and apicultural fever dream. Born from a shared passion for history, the duo channel ancient European traditions through haunting harmonies and hypnotic rhythms — a sound that has already landed them on stages at Wacken Open Air and Summer Breeze on the strength of their debut EP alone.

Seasons of the Dark Hive expands that world into fifteen tracks, opening with the voice-summoning “Sanctus” and weaving through buoyant instrumentals like “Tenebrae” and “Sylvanot,” the brooding drone of “Noctilis,” and reverent nods to medieval history via “Mel Obscurum (Palästinalied)” — their take on Walther von der Vogelweide’s 13th-century “Palestine Song” — and “Hive Dance (Bransle du maître de la maison),” adapted from a late medieval French dance. Add in the subtle presence of a Dark Monk on strings, distorted whispers, and the occasional hum of actual bees, and you’ve got one of the more singular debut albums of the year.

Tabernis on the record: “The album Seasons of the Dark Hive came to life naturally, without ever forcing anything. We let the energies that live within us come out in an authentic way… We drew from cultures and musical styles from all eras, from everything that has inspired us through the ages, while keeping our foundation: drum and bagpipe. This is only the beginning of the story.”

SEASONS OF THE DARK HIVE TRACK LISTING:
1. Sanctus
2. Tenebrae
3. Noctilis
4. Mel Obscurum (Palästinalied)
5. Sylvanot
6. Verbah Oblitah
7. Aurora
8. Florenscentia
9. Apem Vidi (Ai Vist Lo Lop)
10. Lupanar Apum
11. Apiare
12. Hive Dance (Bransle du maître de la maison)
13. Meliferum
14. Calcinae
15. Apes Saltis

TABERNIS LIVE 2026:
5/23 — Leipzig, Germany — Wave-Gotik-Treffen
6/11–6/12 — Kranichfeld, Germany — Sternenklang Festival
6/13 — Holzappel, Germany — Mahlstrom Open Air
6/20 — Merseburg, Germany — Schlossfestspiele Merseburg
8/8–8/9 — Hildesheim, Germany — M’era Luna
9/12 — Erfurt, Germany — Fantasypark

Seasons of the Dark Hive arrives Friday, April 24 via Napalm Records, with multiple vinyl configurations — including a strictly limited White Label Edition and a Translucent Yellow/Black Deluxe gatefold — CD, and digital formats available. Press play on “Apes Saltis,” pre-order the album, and welcome yourself to the Dark Hive. Amidst the bees, you are never alone.