Texas-based dark synthwave project Gost has announced the followup to his last album, 2019’s Valediction. Rites of Love and Reverence is due out August 13 via Century Media, and you can see the cover art below. “The lyrics were inspired by witchcraft themes,” Gost says. “It’s mainly about how witchcraft has affected women throughout history. Witch trials and the subsequent executions throughout the ages terrify me. I fear, as a society, we are always on the verge of such horrible psychosis based on the misunderstanding and intolerance of one another. I try to educate myself on any historical subject I use as an influence, out of respect for the real people who actually lived through it.”

The first single is the heavy, industrial-edged “Coven,” which you can watch the video for below. “‘Coven’ is a piece that seemed to write itself, flowing almost effortlessly from some unexplainable source,” Gost says. “This song is told from the perspective of a persecuted witch who is proud of her coven and will die before she betrays her sisters. In memory of the many victims throughout history, by which mere accusations of witchcraft condemned the innocent to death.”