1914

Born Again Concerts presents The War That Never Ends – Winter 2026 with 1914 at Downstairs At The Dome.

Trench warfare meets blackened death-doom with Ukrainian blackened death/doom metal formation 1914, returning with their fourth studio album, Viribus Unitis, Latin for "With United Forces." More than a historical reference to the personal motto of Franz Joseph I of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the title reflects the band’s resilience through war, loss, and upheaval, a symbol of survival and solidarity.

Viribus Unitis builds on the band’s conceptual approach, pushing deeper into emotional and musical intensity. Continuing their chronicle of World War I, 1914 shift their focus slightly, from the raw portrayal of death and destruction to themes of camaraderie, endurance, and the emotional landscapes of those who endured the horrors. While previous releases like The Blind Leading the Blind (2018) and Where Fear and Weapons Meet (2021) centered on the futility and finality of war, Viribus Unitis explores the human bonds forged under fire and the strength of those who returned, broken, changed, yet still alive.

Musically, 1914 remain true to their identity, a mixture of blackened death metal, slow-burning doom, and ambient war soundscapes. This time, their sound gains a broader dynamic range, with melodic leads, orchestral textures, and clean vocals that provide contrast to the heaviness. One of the album’s highlights is a collaboration with Aaron Stainthorpe (ex-My Dying Bride, High Parasite) on “1918 Pt. 3: ADE (A Duty to Escape),” whose voice adds a solemn, almost liturgical quality to this elegy of grief and brotherhood on the front lines.

Viribus Unitis deepens 1914’s commitment to historical authenticity, both lyrically and conceptually. Told through real events and personal accounts of a Ukrainian soldier in the K.u.K. army, the album traces a timeline from 1914 to 1919, painting a journey through the war’s rise, climax, and aftermath. From the opener “War In” to the closer “War Out (The End?),” each track captures a moment in time: “1914 (The Siege of Przemyśl),” “1915 (Zwinin Ridge),” the Alpine combat of “1916 (Südtirol Offensive),” and “1918 Pt. 2: POW (Prisoner of War)” featuring Christopher Scott of Precious Death.

The album ends with “1919 (The Home Where I Died),” featuring Rome’s Jérôme Reuter, a portrait of a soldier who survived the war, but not its shadow. This song deals with the soldier's will to live and his family values, seeing him escape from captivity to return home to embrace his wife and daughter. 1914 fuse blackened death metal, doom, and atmospheric textures with dramatic flourishes and guest vocals on this record.