Trepaneringsritualen – Diadem Of Fire (Digital/Vinyl EP – Ant-Zen)
Since 2008, Swedish artist Thomas Martin Ekelund has released numerous works under the moniker Trepaneringsritualen. Over the years, he has collaborated with a wide range of labels and now returns to Ant-Zen with this new release.
The project embodies a powerful Ritual aesthetic that resurfaces here with renewed intensity, while continuously absorbing diverse influences — from Industrial rhythms to deeply disturbing and obscure Ambient soundscapes. Voices drift through the compositions like disembodied ghosts, heightening the sense of dread and psychological torment. Despite these shifting elements, the core remains firmly rooted in Ritual music, supported by an impressive and meticulously layered sound design.
Trepaneringsritualen stands as a guarantee of unique and extreme sonic experiences for devotees of Industrial and Ritual music, and this latest work is yet another compelling testament to that legacy. (Rating:8½).
Listen to “Tainted Totem Nothing”:
About Trepaneringsritualen
Trepaneringsritualen is the ritual and death-industrial project of Swedish artist Thomas Martin Ekelund, formed in 2008 and based in Gothenburg, where Ekelund also works as a graphic designer. The name refers to trepanation, the practice of drilling into the skull, and the project’s themes circle religion, magick, and altered states of consciousness.
Before Trepaneringsritualen, Ekelund recorded for years as Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words, a project he ended in 2011. His output has appeared on labels including Cold Spring, Malignant Records, iDEAL, and Ant-Zen, and he has collaborated with Nordvargr. “Diadem Of Fire”, released as a digital and vinyl EP on Ant-Zen in 2025, is his latest return to the label.
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