The second album by Khonsu ‘The Xun Protectorate’ is released 18 November on Jhator Recordings (and distributed via PHD). You can support Khonsu on the band’s Bandcamp page.

Khonsu hail from Bergen, Norway. The album ‘The Xun Protectorate’ features guest appearances by members of Keep of Kalessin and Manes. Their music has a distinctive dark futuristic twist and delivers a sinister blend of metal and electronic elements.

Commenting on the album, mastermind S. Gronbech stated:

“It’s a concept album set several centuries into the future, after earth is gone and human kind continues it’s existence on a sort of space station or ‘city’ in orbit around the sun. It’s a dystopian setting and a story about the end of mankind, when this cosmic city is driven into the sun by a clone who starts to feel he has a special mission to accomplish.”

“The diversity of ideas on this album is probably unlike anything heard before in the metal world. One moment one may be listening to the most hellish Black Metal with screams of torture, while in the next beautiful and mystic passages inviting melancholic contemplation.”

The full track listing is:

1. Desolation City (Prologue)
2. A Jhator Ascension
3. The Observatory
4. Liberator
5. Death Of The Timekeeper
6. The Tragedy Of The Awakened One
7. Visions Of Nehaya
8. A Dream Of Earth
9. Toward the Devouring Light
10. The Unremembered (Epilogue)

Khonsu are:

S. Gronbech – all instruments
T’ol – vocals

All music composed, arranged, performed, and produced by S. Gronbech, except:
Recording of main electric guitars engineered by Arnt “Obsidian C.” Gronbech
Solo guitars on ‘The Observatory’, ‘The Tragedy of the Awakened One’, ‘Death of the Timekeeper’, and ‘Toward the Devouring Light’ by Arnt ‘Obsidian C.’ Gronbech
Additional production assistance by Stamos Koliousis and Vangelis Labrakis
Additional vocal arrangements by T’ol and Rune Folgerø