Exclusive: Stream Wretched Abyss, the debut album by Serena Cherry's black metal project Noctule

Following Svalbard's incredible, "painfully honest" 2020 album When I Die, Will I Get Better? and a typically furious socially distanced set in The K! Pit, Serena Cherry is continuing to stay productive – currently with her brand-new black metal solo project, Noctule (the name is taken from the vocalist seeing Noctule bats on her daily lockdown walks last year).

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim-inspired debut LP Wretched Abyss will be released on May 28 via Translation Loss Records and Church Road Records, but, if like us you can't wait that extra two days, then we've got you covered: you can hear the eight-track album in full below right now!

Explaining how Wretched Abyss came to be, Serena tells Kerrang!: "National UK lockdown in 2020 meant two things for me: playing more guitar and playing more computer games! This album is the result of both of those things – a black metal album inspired by Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Read this: The story of black metal in 14 songs

"Noctule is a solo project; all these riffs, lyrics and melodies you hear on Wretched Abyss come straight from my heart, unfiltered. It was very liberating for me to write an album on my own, to indulge in all my weird ideas and grow them into songs. I learned a lot along the way – how to use Logic, how to programme drums and how to record vocals in a cupboard!

"I am delighted that Church Road Records and Translation Loss Records have released the album, seeing the beautiful vinyl variants they created was such a high point for me.

"Now, load up a character on Skyrim, equip your weapons and slay some dragons with Wretched Abyss playing in the background!"

Don't mind if we do…

Read this: Svalbard: "When shows come back, they will be different"