The Austrian musical act Ellereve released a new single and an accompanying music video, ‘Crawl,’ on September 9, 2025. The track became available on all major digital streaming platforms on its release date, with the official music video premiering on YouTube. The single is the second to be released from Ellereve’s forthcoming second full-length studio album, titled ‘Umbra.’ The album is scheduled for release on November 7, 2025, through the German independent record label Eisenwald. ‘Crawl’ follows the album’s first single, ‘The Veil of Your Death,’ which was released on August 19, 2025.

The release of the two singles ahead of the full album follows a structured, multi-stage promotional campaign. This approach, which involves a staggered release of content over several months to build anticipation, is a conventional strategy often employed by independent labels within niche musical genres. It stands in contrast to the surprise-release model sometimes utilized in mainstream pop music, focusing instead on methodical audience engagement and sustained promotion leading up to the album’s scheduled debut.

Deconstructing the ‘Crawl’ Music Video

The music video for ‘Crawl’ serves as a visual manifesto for this new artistic direction. The choice of Mbience Visuals for cinematography is a significant indicator of intent. The production company has an established portfolio within the European metal scene, having created videos for acts such as Harakiri for the Sky, Empyrium, and Ellende, and is known for a high-contrast, melancholic aesthetic that often incorporates natural landscapes.

Furthermore, the song’s theme is described as “a slow descent into the shadowed corners of the self,” a concept made literal by the inclusion of a performer, Christoph Knoll, in the role of “The Darkness.”

With the artist, Elisa Giulia Teschner, credited as the Creative Director, the project demonstrates a holistic and controlled vision. The video is therefore not just a promotional tool for a single; it is a symbolic declaration of her new, heavier identity.

The collaboration with a respected metal videographer, the personification of a dark internal state, and the artist’s direct creative oversight combine to visually align Ellereve with the aesthetic conventions of the post-metal scene she is now entering.

The Production Dichotomy: A Synthesis of Opposites

The most compelling and under-explored narrative in the source material is the choice of the production team for ‘Umbra.’ The album was recorded and produced by Salomon Appiah and subsequently mixed and mastered by Markus Stock at Klangschmiede Studio E. This pairing represents a sophisticated act of sonic alchemy, fusing two disparate worlds of music production.

Salomon Appiah is a Berlin-based producer whose extensive discography is overwhelmingly focused on lofi, chill, jazz, and instrumental hip-hop, often under the name 7apes. His work is characterized by atmospheric textures, electronic arrangements, and a modern, beat-centric sensibility. His documented involvement in rock or metal production is virtually nonexistent.

Conversely, Markus Stock is a foundational figure in the European metal scene. His Klangschmiede Studio E, established in 1998, is legendary, and his discography includes seminal works with genre-defining bands like Empyrium, The Vision Bleak, Alcest, and Secrets of the Moon. Stock is a master of engineering heavy, distorted guitars and creating powerful, organic, and weighty sonic landscapes, contributing significantly to what has been termed the “Teutonic” metal sound.

This collaboration is not a simple division of labor but a deliberate conceptual choice. It suggests that the artistic goal for ‘Umbra’ is not merely to create a metal album, but to forge a unique hybrid. The process combines Appiah’s modern, electronic, and atmospheric production—likely responsible for the album’s synth melodies and ambient layers—with Stock’s classic, powerful, and credible metal engineering, which provides the weight and authenticity for the heavy guitars and crushing post-metal riffs. This production strategy is the core story of the album, defining its attempt to create a sound that is both contemporary and rooted in the traditions of heavy music.

From ‘Reminiscence’ to ‘Umbra’

The musical project of singer and songwriter Elisa Giulia Teschner, Ellereve, first emerged in 2022 with a series of foundational singles including ‘Colorblind,’ ‘Photographs,’ and ‘How Not To.’ This initial creative period continued into 2023 with the singles ‘In Infinite Light,’ ‘Cosmos,’ and ‘The Empty Chair,’ which led to her full-length debut, ‘Reminiscence.’

The album established her sound within the realms of dark folk, post-rock, goth, and 90s alternative, often inviting comparisons to artists like Emma Ruth Rundle, and was recognized for its ethereal atmospheres and dynamic shifts between delicate and powerful moments.

Following her debut, Ellereve maintained a prolific and consistent release schedule, demonstrating a clear artistic drive. This period included two live EPs (‘Live Session’ in 2023 and ‘Live Session II’ in 2024), the 2024 single ‘Irreversible,’ and the album ‘Funeral Songs’ (also released in 2024), all of which continued to explore her established stylistic blend.

The upcoming album, ‘Umbra,’ marks a deliberate and significant evolution from this foundation. Promotional materials and the initial singles indicate a clear shift into heavier sonic landscapes. The new work takes on a darker, more defiant tone and openly incorporates elements from post-metal, doom, and blackened metal.

This is not a subtle progression but a strategic repositioning of the artist’s musical identity. Embracing the vocabulary and sounds of specific metal subgenres, Ellereve is moving from the general dark alternative category into a more defined and dedicated musical ecosystem.

This is clearly demonstrated by the powerful post-metal riffs in ‘Crawl’ and the guest feature from a post-black metal vocalist on ‘The Veil of Your Death,’ signaling a choice to build deeper credibility within a niche community rather than pursuing broader mainstream appeal.

The Eisenwald Milieu as a Curatorial Statement

Ellereve’s signing to the German independent label Eisenwald is not merely a distribution deal; it provides the essential industrial and artistic context for her sonic shift. For nearly two decades, Eisenwald has established itself as a highly respected curatorial force within the European underground, specializing in a spectrum of dark and atmospheric music.

The label is known for its distinct but related poles: on one end, introspective and melancholic dark folk and neofolk, and on the other, epic and extreme atmospheric black metal. Its roster boasts genre-defining acts like the legendary Agalloch, the melodic black metal force Uada, and the neofolk project Osi and the Jupiter.

Within this carefully curated ecosystem, Ellereve is not just a new addition but a synthesis. Her unique sound, which seamlessly bridges the ethereal textures of her past work with the post-metal and doom elements of ‘Umbra,’ allows her to connect these two distinct facets of the label’s identity.

She embodies the intersection where the emotional core of Eisenwald’s folk artists meets the crushing weight and dynamic power of its metal acts. This makes her signing a statement of intent from the label, positioning Ellereve as a potentially pivotal artist in defining the next stage of the Eisenwald sound.

Album Pre-Orders and Supporting Tour

Pre-orders for the album ‘Umbra’ were made available concurrently with the release of its singles. The album is being offered in multiple formats, including a digipak CD, a jewel case CD, and several 180-gram vinyl pressings.

The selection of touring partners for the ‘Umbra’ release shows is a powerful act of market signaling and community integration. By sharing a stage with Nekrodeus and Hexer, Ellereve is making a non-verbal declaration about the authenticity of her new direction to the European underground metal scene.

Nekrodeus, from Graz, Austria, performs a visceral and aggressive blend of blackened metal, crust-punk, and death metal. Their music is described as raw and uncompromising, and their live shows are noted for their intensity.

Critically, the band’s drummer, Paul Färber, also performs with Karg and Harakiri for the Sky—the latter being the band whose vocalist, Michael J.J. Kogler, guests on Ellereve’s first single, ‘The Veil of Your Death.’ This connection underscores a tight-knit and deliberate collaboration within the Austrian heavy music community.

Hexer, from Dortmund, Germany, plays a style described as cosmic doom and sludge metal. Their compositions are atmospheric, sprawling, and intensely heavy, focusing on hypnotic and transcendental soundscapes that are both massive and grim.

Conclusion

The release of the new single and video for ‘Crawl’ marks the latest and most definitive step in the deliberate artistic evolution of Ellereve. More than just a precursor to the forthcoming album ‘Umbra,’ the song and its accompanying visuals serve as a clear statement of intent.

Through a sophisticated fusion of modern electronic production and classic metal engineering, a strategic alignment with the esteemed Eisenwald label, and a clear embrace of the European underground metal scene, Ellereve is undertaking a comprehensive repositioning of her musical identity.

The forthcoming album ‘Umbra,’ set for release on November 7, 2025, therefore represents not just a new collection of songs, but the culmination of this carefully orchestrated transformation and the artist’s full arrival in a heavier, darker, and more defiant sonic landscape.