Above, Below, & Through, the quartet’s debut album for Metal Blade and their fourth album overall, was inspired by a season of transformation, hibernation, and inspiration. It will be released on February 12th, 2027.
“Above, Below, & Through takes everything that was great about our last LP, Black Flame Eternal, and amplifies it completely, while still standing as an album of its own,” the band confirms.
Cloak, based in Atlanta Georgia since its founding in 2013, intentionally chose to give their new album a thematic and philosophical vibe, with lyrics and concepts centered around duality and liminality finally producing a completely realized opus.
Drummer Matt Morris and bassist Rafay Nabeel have joined vocalist/guitarist Scott Taysom and guitarist Max Brigham, the original members of Cloak, on Above, Below, & Through. In terms of sound, it’s the band’s most opulent and expansive record to date. The bass rumbles, the guitar tones are intense and focused, and the drums are enormous but unprocessed. A significant distinction between this production and Cloak’s earlier albums will be apparent to listeners.
Themes started to surface as the songs for the record were being written. “The main concepts of the songs were dealing with pathways between life and death, realms between dream and consciousness, shifts between beast and man, and the juxtaposition of shadow and light as spiritual guides,” explains Taysom. “The album title’s meaning became clear, as something both all-encompassing and complete, but also something liminal and transitional. This is represented in both the songs and the band itself at the time of writing the album.“
Lead single “Nigredo – Initium” was the first song Cloak worked on as a new lineup. Taysom’s lyrics are a direct result of the way the music sounds, and the inspiration the song gives off.
The band further elaborates, “A tale of being marked from the beginning. ‘Nigredo – Initium’ was the first song we started working on as a new lineup, which is very fitting considering the translated title. It is the initial door that opens to the world that is Above, Below, & Through, and the start of a new dark age.”
Watch Cloak’s video for “Nigredo – Initium” HERE.
Above, Below, & Through was recorded with producer Alex Parra and drum engineer John Douglass, and comes swathed in the striking cover art of Jordan Barlow. The record will be released on CD and digital formats as well as vinyl in the following color variants:
Electric Smoke (US)
Metallic Marble (US)
100g Black (EU)
Ivory Black Brown “Ripple” (EU – Ltd. 250)
Mustard Sea Blue “Melt” (EU – Ltd. 250)
Find all preorders at metalblade.com/cloak.
Above, Below, & Through Track Listing:
1. Nigredo – Initium
2. Of Shadow & Sleep
3. Into Death’s Light
4. Horrors Profound
5. Levitation
6. The Arcane Beckoning
7. The Mare
8. Above, Below, & Through
CLOAK Live:
11/07/2026 Mass Destruction Metal Fest – Atlanta, GA
1/13/2027 The Milestone Club – Charlotte, NC
1/14/2027 Heart Of Wither Festival – Richmond, VA
1/15/2027 Metro Baltimore – Baltimore, MD
1/16/2027 Chapel Of Bones – Raleigh, NC
CLOAK:
Scott Taysom – vocals, guitar
Max Brigham – guitar
Rafay Nabeel – bass
Matt Morris – drums
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