[CORRECTED] Batushka (Fake Version) Announce New Album, ЦАРЮ НЕБЕСНЫЙ, Debut First Single

Update: An earlier version of this article credited Krzysztof “Derph” Drabikowski’s Batushka for the new album and single, when in fact the release is from Bartłomiej Krysiuk’s “FakeTushka.” Sorry for the error, everyone!

Original Post:

Batushka — the “fake” version of the band led by Bartłomiej Krysiuk — have announced a new album, ЦАРЮ НЕБЕСНЫЙ (pronunciation, “CARJU NIEBIESNYJ;” English translation, Heavenly King), and unveiled its first single, “ПИСЬМО IV” (pronunciation, “Pismo IV;” English translation, “Letter IV”).

Krysiuk has been embroiled in a legal battle with his former bandmate, Krzysztof “Derph” Drabikowski, for some time. Krysiuk formed his own outfit also titled Batushka after splitting with Drabikowski in December of 2018, and got his band label support from Metal Blade and management from 5B (Slipknot, Lamb of God, Amon Amarth). That version has been largely scorned by fans of Batushka’s explosive 2015 debut, Litourgiya. Both versions of Batushka released new albums in 2019, with the record produced by Drabikowski, Панихида, winning the support of most of the band’s original fans. The Krysiuk version had tours lined up for Australia and North America for late 2019, both of which were canceled due to poor ticket sales. Krysiuk and Drabikowski remain embroiled in a lawsuit, the details of which you can catch up with here, although the most recent update came over a year ago, in early February 2020.

ЦАРЮ НЕБЕСНЫЙ is the follow-up to the Raskol EP, released last year. Press copy promises that the album “is more varied, emotional, and dynamic” than anything they’ve done before and features “several musicians from regional folk groups and symphonic orchestra,” with more details about the album’s lyrical and visual concept to be revealed in the coming weeks. 

Listen to the new single, “ПИСЬМО IV,” below. ЦАРЮ НЕБЕСНЫЙ comes out on March 19 via Witching Hour Productions; pre-order through the label or band. Interestingly, it is not available on Metal Blade; it isn’t clear whether Bart’s Batushka are still signed to that label.

Drabikowski was one of the first metal musicians to publicly reveal he’d contracted the coronavirus at the dawn of the pandemic last March; in April, he announced he had recovered.