Elden Ring saved her life extreme metal album
When you think of black metal, you might conjure images of raucous anthems about Satan and icy landscapes. But for some artists, the darkest corners of metal can be anything but grim—they can be portals to sprawling fantasy worlds. This is the story of Serena Cherry, the solo project of former Svalbard vocalist, who has taken the epic, nightmarish landscape of video games to fuel an entirely new sound.
Cherry’s upcoming second album, Extinguish Thy Flame, shatters traditional metal boundaries. Instead of focusing on Norse mythology, the record dives headfirst into the complex, brutal world of Elden Ring, blending the heavily distorted intensity of black metal with the melodic edge of melodeath. The result is a sound that feels simultaneously bigger and meaner than her debut, paying tribute to the epic scope of the game.
The shift in musical focus mirrors a profound shift in perspective. Cherry found that the immersive, challenging nature of gaming—specifically the labyrinthine difficulty of Elden Ring—provided a unique source of motivation. Rather than seeing the game as mere entertainment, she experienced a kind of stubbornness, a healthy resilience, in confronting its trials. This same internal drive propelled her toward creating music that celebrated that very struggle.
The process of creating Extinguish Thy Flame was deeply personal. Cherry used the rich lore of the game not just for musical inspiration, but as a framework to explore complex emotions. The album draws on the narrative of the game’s characters and their tragic arcs—from the defiant loyalty of Malenia to the feelings of being spurned and banished—to articulate her own personal struggles with feeling marginalized within the metal scene.
“Using characters as a way to explore your thoughts and feelings makes you feel more protected than if you’re just speaking plainly,” Cherry explains. This journey allowed her to find an unapologetically bleak comfort in art. While some find comfort in cheerful escapism, Cherry discovered that there is immense power in embracing the darkness, finding hope and strength in the turmoil itself.
The creation of the album was also a necessary act of self-discovery, emerging during the isolation of the COVID lockdown when Cherry was freed from the demands of touring and the stress of maintaining a small band. This period of solitude allowed her to fully immerse herself in her creative process, allowing the music to flow in a way that felt completely authentic.
With the album built around the game’s various bosses, each track mirrors a different encounter, offering listeners a visceral experience of epic conflict. From the lush, instrumental opener referencing Limgrave to tracks about powerful figures like Mogh and Morgott, Cherry transforms game lore into intense, emotionally charged sonic experiences.
Ultimately, Extinguish Thy Flame is more than just a gaming soundtrack; it is a powerful declaration. It is a celebration of finding joy in creation, of drawing a sense of fight and courage from the experience, and a testament to how music can transform personal hardship into something monumental.
Extinguish Thy Flame is available for pre-order now.
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