Norwegian darkwave pioneer Penitent exclusively launches the video for “Beyond the Whispering Echoes” on Side-Line. The video marks the first visual preview of the upcoming album “Melancholia Redux”. due May 30, 2025 via The Circle Music. The album reinterprets Penitent’s 1996 Cold Meat Industry debut “Melancholia,” nearly three decades after its initial release.

The new track is also streaming on all major digital platforms. It follows the earlier release of the single “The Path of the Shadows” which also received a video treatment.

“Melancholia Redux” features entirely re-recorded music and rewritten English lyrics, offering a fresh perspective on the earlier material. “Creating the visual counterpart for ‘Beyond the Whispering Echoes’ allowed us to delve deeper into the atmosphere of ‘Melancholia Redux’,” founder Karsten Hamre says. “The video aims to reflect the introspective and melancholic journey of the track, bringing the re-imagined lyrics and music to life in a new dimension.”

The release will be available in several collector-focused formats:

• Digi CD with 12-page booklet (Limited to 500 copies)
• Clear & Black Splatter LP with printed inner sleeve (Limited to 250 copies)
• Red & Turquoise Splatter LP with printed inner sleeve (Limited to 150 copies)
• Luxurious LP/CD box with magnet embossed in gold (Limited to 100 copies)
• Exclusive T-shirt
• Exclusive zip hoodie

Pre-orders are open via The Circle Music website.

This release also marks the beginning of Penitent’s collaboration with The Circle Music. According to the label, additional “Redux” editions of albums such as “The Beauty of Pain,” “As Life Fades Away,” and “Roses by Chaos Spawned” are in development, along with new material.

About Penitent

Penitent was founded in 1994 in Norway by Karsten Hamre as a vehicle to combine poetic expression with dark ambient music.

The debut album, “Melancholia,” was released in 1996 through Cold Meat Industry and established their early sound based on synthesizers, spoken word, and neoclassical elements. Subsequent releases expanded into martial industrial and darker cinematic styles. Over the decades, Hamre has remained the driving creative force, issuing numerous works under the Penitent name and related projects.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Norwegian darkwave act Penitent have released a new music video for the track “The Path of Shadows”. The song is taken from the upcoming reissue “Melancholia Redux“, which will be released on May 30, 2025, through The Circle Music. The release revisits the band’s debut album “Melancholia”, originally issued by Cold Meat Industry in 1996.

In parallel with the music video launch, Penitent have also released the new digital single “Beyond the Whispering Echoes“, now available on all major streaming platforms.

“Melancholia Redux” features re-recorded music, rewritten English lyrics, and new artwork. Karsten Hamre, the band’s founder and main composer, commented: “Bringing these older tracks like ‘The Path of Shadows’ back to life for ‘Melancholia Redux’ and creating visuals for them allows a new perspective on the original feelings and poetry. This piece holds a particular significance from the original album, and working on the video allowed us to explore its atmosphere visually.”

The new release will be available in multiple formats. These include a Digi CD edition with a 12-page booklet, limited edition splatter vinyl LPs, and a special box set combining LP and CD versions. Exclusive merchandise, such as T-shirts and zip hoodies, is also part of the offering. Formats are limited as follows: 500 copies for the Digi CD, 250 copies for the Clear & Black Splatter LP, 150 copies for the red & turquoise splatter LP, and 100 copies for the deluxe LP/CD Box.

About Penitent

Penitent is a Norwegian darkwave project founded in 1994 by Karsten Hamre. Emerging from Oslo’s underground scene, Penitent gained early acclaim with the 1996 album “Melancholia”, released via the influential Swedish label Cold Meat Industry.

Subsequent albums like “The Beauty of Pain” (1997) and “Among the Sleepless” (2000) cemented Hamre’s reputation for blending poetic narratives with haunting soundscapes.

After a period of relative silence, Hamre reactivated Penitent and related projects, maintaining a steady creative output. Now collaborating with Greek label The Circle Music, Penitent embarks on a new phase, revisiting past works through re-recordings and planning future material. Karsten Hamre remains the sole member and creative force behind Penitent.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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The legendary debut album “Melancholia” by the Norwegian darkwave pioneers Penitent, and originally released by Cold Meat Industry in 1996, will be reissued on CD and vinyl after nearly 30 years. Set for release on 30 May 2025, “Melancholia Redux” features re-recorded music, and rewritten English lyrics.

This release is just the beginning of Penitent’s collaboration with The Circle Music as we already reported. Plans are underway for further “Redux” versions of their extensive back catalogue, including “The Beauty of Pain”, “As Life Fades Away” and “Roses by Chaos Spawned” as well as new, never-before-released material.

Here are the formats you can expect (and already pre-order) for “Melancholia Redux”:

• Digi CD with 12-page booklet (500 copies)
• Clear & black splatter LP with printed inner sleeve: (250 copies)
• Red & turquoise splatter LP with printed inner sleeve: (150 copies)
• Luxurious LP/CD Box with magnet embossed in gold: (100 copies)

Added to this you can also expect exclusive t-shirts and zip hoodies.

“We are incredibly excited to finally offer ‘Melancholia Redux’ for pre-order,” says Karsten Hamre. “This album represents a profound reinterpretation of our debut, and we believe fans will appreciate the depth and intensity of the new recordings and lyrics. The variety of formats available ensures there’s something special for everyone.”

About Penitent

Penitent is a Norwegian darkwave project founded in 1994 by Karsten Hamre.

After a demo tape released in 1995 received strong feedback, Penitent secured a deal with the Swedish cult label Cold Meat Industry. The project then launched itself to a larger public with its debut album, “Melancholia”, released in 1996. Initially a solo endeavor, Penitent saw early collaboration with Asbjørn Log, who contributed synthesizers from 1995 to 1997.

In 2000, Bernt Sunde joined Hamre, forming a duo that produced “Songs of Despair” (2002), an album blending darkwave with gothic and industrial influences. Though their partnership ended in 2001, Hamre continued returning to its neoclassical origins with albums like “Deserted Dreams” (2003).

In 2025, Penitent signed with The Circle Music, announcing a reissue of “Melancholia”, retitled “Melancholia Redux”. This reimagined version features re-recorded music and rewritten English lyrics.

Earlier in 2023 the band already release the remastered 14-track 1995 demo of the album on Bandcamp.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Norwegian darkwave / industrial / ambient / experimental pioneers Penitent have signed with the Greek label The Circle Music. The collaboration will start with a reissue of the band’s debut album “Melancholia”, originally released by Cold Meat Industry almost 30 years ago in 1996.

The reissue will hold re-recorded music and rewritten English lyrics so Karsten Hamre confirms: “After nearly 30 years, the Penitent debut album “Melancholia” is set to be released in a new incarnation. The music and instrumentation has been re-recorded, and the lyrics have been rewritten and are now all in English. Thanks to the good people at The Circle Music this reincarnation, now dubbed “Melancholia Redux” is set to be released on both CD and LP.”

Below you can check the original version of “Melancholia”.

Karsten Hamre has been re-recording much of his ten-album discography while planning for the future stating, “I’m thrilled about this collaboration, which will be long-lasting. It will include more reworks and updated versions of the Penitent back catalog, with some tracks featuring added vocals.”

He also says that other albums may get “Redux” versions, including “The Beauty of Pain”, “As Life Fades Away”, and “Roses by Chaos Spawned”. Reworked versions of “Deserted Dreams” and “A Shapeless Beauty” are confirmed and will include vocals to reflect how the songs were performed live in the past, particularly in Iasi and Bucharest (Romania) and Sofia (Bulgaria).

There will also be new and never-before-released music in the pipeline.

About Penitent

Norwegian artist Karsten Hamre launched Penitent in 1994 as a pioneering darkwave project, combining poetry with atmospheric music. Penitent explores life’s dualities, focusing on themes like life and death, pain and torture, and sorrow and depression.

Hamre released the debut album, “Melancholia”, in 1996 under Cold Meat Industry, initiating a series of influential albums. Penitent partnered with various labels over the years, including Dark Vinyl, Prophecy, and Draenor/Napalm. In 2002, Hamre shifted styles with “Songs of Despair” but returned to his foundational sound in 2003 with “Deserted Dreams”, which he recorded in October.

Artists such as Bernt Sunde, who joined in 2000, and Asbjørn Log, who played synthesizer from 1995 to 1997, contributed to Penitent’s evolution. Despite these collaborations, Hamre has consistently driven the project’s creative direction.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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