Fresh off the road from their tour with Infected Rain, Lithuanian avant-garde quintet Black Spikes are wasting no time stoking the fires of their forthcoming album. The band has just unleashed “Revana,” the brooding second single from their upcoming full-length Ydos, due August 28 via Napalm Records — and if this track is any indication, the rising metal act is about to drag the wider world straight into their dark, beautifully unsettling realm.

“Revana” is more than just a song title — it’s a name. Specifically, it’s the name Black Spikes have given to the personification of revenge, one of ten human vices that anchor the conceptual narrative of Ydos. Where the album’s first taste hinted at the band’s ability to balance crushing weight with cinematic beauty, “Revana” delivers on that promise with some of the most instantly recognizable riffs the band has written to date. There’s a haunting elegance here that’s hard to shake, the kind that lingers long after the final note fades.

The accompanying music video leans hard into atmosphere and storytelling, drawing inspiration from a particularly bleak chapter in Lithuanian history. “‘Revana’ is the name that we’ve chosen for revenge,” the band explains. “Revenge promises closure but often delivers continuation. It keeps the story going instead of ending it. You don’t ‘get even’ — you stay entangled. In the music video, we depict a story inspired by the witch hunts that also reached Lithuania in the 17th century. Women who stood out for their curiosity or who did not easily fit into society were often falsely accused of witchcraft and revenged by death sentence for causing misfortunes in their communities.”

It’s heavy thematic territory, and Black Spikes treat it with the gravity it deserves — no cheap thrills, just genuine atmosphere and a story that feels uncomfortably timeless.

Watch the official music video for “Revana” here: https://youtu.be/miZbo-cww1s

Ydos marks Black Spikes’ first release with Napalm Records, arriving on the heels of a nomination at Lithuania’s M.A.M.A. Music Awards — essentially the Lithuanian Grammys, for those keeping score at home. The album is built around a singular, ambitious concept: each of its ten tracks personifies a different human vice, from the opening eerie intro “Pasaka” (fairy tale) through “Motina” (mother), “Melas” (lie), “Mara,” “Zelvar,” “Revana,” “Apatija” (apathy), “Aurea,” “Senas Demonas” (old demon), and the closing “Dulkės” (dust).

“Ydos is a conceptual album — a dark fairytale about human vices,” the band shares. “The idea was there from the very beginning and guided the entire songwriting process. Each vice has its own name and story, and many songs will be brought to life through music videos where these vices take shape. It was our first time creating a conceptual album, and we really enjoyed starting with an idea and expressing it through music.”

Sonically, Black Spikes are doing something genuinely interesting. The band leans into electronic textures while keeping both feet planted firmly in modern progressive metal, with vocalist Agni soaring between soaring cleans and feral screams. Trap beats and rap sneak into “Melas.” Blast beats and orchestral swells share space throughout the record. It’s the kind of record that rewards close listening — and headbanging, in roughly equal measure.

Ydos will be available on Marbled White/Gold/Black vinyl (a Napalm Mailorder exclusive featuring a signed autograph card), Solid Gold vinyl, Digisleeve CD, and digital formats. Pre-orders are live now at http://lnk.to/BlackSpikes-Ydos/napalmrecords.

Fans in Lithuania can catch Black Spikes live on May 22 at Vasaros Terasa in Vilnius.

Black Spikes are: Agni (vocals), Yaga (guitar, electronics), Mazvis (guitar), Sime (bass), and Titas (drums). Keep an eye on this one — Ydos has the makings of a sleeper favorite for progressive metal fans hungry for something with both bite and brains.