London-based black metal band Calligram has dropped a violently hard-hitting new single, “Kenosis.” The song is the third release from the band’s upcoming studio release, The Eye Is The First Circle, due out April 10.

Formed in 2011, the multi-national quintet of metalheads features members from Brazil, France, Italy and the UK. They draw from their diverse personal backgrounds and cultures to infuse their brand of black metal with a variety of emotional, political and social touch points and a heavy dose of punk rock.

Speaking directly of the track, the band says, “In Christian theology, Kenosis is the renunciation of his divine nature by Christ during the incarnation. And in this song, we are using this image to convey the idea that you can only accept death and chaos if you’re willing to reject all the inauthentic aspects of existence.”

“The lyrics talk about the fact that people often try to ignore the ugly truth about their existence (death, chaos, the absence of purpose/meaning…), when acknowledging and embracing it is the only authentic way to be human.” As with the rest of the eight-track album, the lyrics are sung entirely in Italian.

The band considers this the album missing from their record shelves that they want to listen to. The title comes from the Ralph Waldo Emerson essay “Circles,” which begins, “The eye is the first circle: the horizon which it forms is the second; and throughout nature this primary figure is repeated without end.” Calligram has chosen to reinterpret the meaning of the circle, considering it a sphere surrounding every individual compelling them to care for those around them. While the original quote focuses on the ultimate transience of life, their message of love injects newfound optimism into ultimate emptiness and negativity inherent in the initial writing.

Calligram is currently based in London and signed to Prosthetic Records. The Eye Is The First Circle will be the band’s first release with the label.

The Eye Is The First Circle is due out April 10 and can be pre-ordered here.

The Eye Is The First Circle Track Listing:

1. Carne
2. Serpe
3. Vivido Perire
4. La Cura
5. Kenosis
6. Anedonia
7. Pensiero Debole
8. Un dramma vuoto e insanabile