Swiss atmospheric black metal, doom and blackgaze project Wazzara return with Arbor, their fourth release and first full-length album in five years, opening a new chapter in a decade-long journey through darkness, weight and otherworldly beauty.
Drawing on the hypnotic pull of atmospheric black metal, the crushing gravity of doom and the blurred edges of blackgaze, Arbor finds Wazzara deepening the sound they have developed since their formation. The seven-track album was written between 2023 and 2025, with one notable exception: ‘zessa (reborn)’, a reimagining of the song that first appeared on the band’s 2019 debut EP, ‘zessa’.
Rather than simply revisiting its predecessor, ‘zessa (reborn)’ documents how the song has changed through years of live performance. Its repeated transformation on stage gave the track what Wazzara describe as an additional persona, with the new version capturing the form it ultimately took through countless performances.
At the heart of Arbor is an exploration of the untamed and the suppressed. The album is dedicated to those willing to taste the untamed fruit, drawing on imagery of an ancient force that has remained buried without ever truly being destroyed. Across its songs, silenced voices begin to emerge once more, giving the record a sense of awakening beneath its dense and atmospheric surface.
The album also sees Wazzara continuing their collaboration with Romanian musician and producer Andrei Jumuga, whose work with Dordeduh, Ordinul Negru, Blutrina and other artists has established him as a distinctive presence within the region’s extreme music scene. Jumuga returns as session drummer after contributing to Wazzara’s 2021 album ‘CYCLES’, while also taking on production duties for Arbor and adding his own musical character to the arrangements.
The production team extends beyond the recording itself. Wazzara again worked with Andy Roscyk on the mixes, drawing on his approach to shape the album’s expansive and forceful sonic profile. Mastering was handled by Martin Korth, whose credits include work with artists such as Björk, Vashti Bunyan and UNKLE.
The recording process took place between Switzerland and Romania during the summer of 2025. Vocals, bass and guitars were recorded at Wazzara’s home studios in Switzerland, while the drums were captured at Consonance Studio in Timișoara, Romania.
Five years on from their previous full-length, Arbor arrives as both a continuation and a renewal for Wazzara. Its combination of heaviness and atmosphere reflects the project’s established identity, while the reworked ‘zessa (reborn)’ and new material point towards a band willing to let its songs evolve rather than remain fixed in their original forms.
