Zealot Cult

ZEALOT CULT: THE LONG ROAD TO PSALMS OF FILTH

Words: Oran O’Beirne

Limerick death metal veterans return with Psalms of Filth, an album forged through patience, evolution and an unwavering commitment to their identity. Guitarist, Mick Carey talks to Oran O’Beirne about the bands long-awaited sophomore….

There is something to be said for taking your time. In an era where bands are increasingly encouraged to feed the content machine with a constant stream of releases, singles and social media updates, Zealot Cult have always moved at their own pace. The Limerick death metal outfit are not interested in chasing trends or manufacturing momentum. They write when the material is ready, record when they are happy with it and, perhaps most importantly, remain firmly rooted in the sound that brought them together in the first place.

Eight years on from their debut album, Spiritual Sickness, the band are preparing to unleash its long-awaited successor, Psalms of Filth, via Awakening Records.

From the outside, that gap might suggest a period of inactivity. The reality, however, is rather different. "Spiritual Sickness came out towards the end of 2018 and into 2019, so we were playing gigs and promoting the album," explains guitarist Mick Carey. "We had plans for 2020, but obviously everything changed, so a lot of those shows ended up happening across 2021, 2022 and 2023. During that time, we had also started writing material that would eventually become Psalms of Filth.”

For Zealot Cult, there was never a masterplan built around deadlines or maintaining visibility. The band simply continued to work as they always had. "We never really thought about it in terms of longevity or patience," Carey says. "We've always gone at our own pace. We write at our own pace and, once we're happy with something, we'll demo it before going in to record a project.”

That approach is evident throughout Psalms of Filth. The album delivers the brutal, old-school death metal attack that Zealot Cult have built their reputation upon, but there is considerably more going on beneath the surface. These are not simply songs designed to bludgeon the listener into submission. There is atmosphere, movement and an understanding of when to pull back as well as when to hit hard. "We wanted to put some new twists and turns into the music and work more on the dynamics," Carey explains. "The idea was to make sure there was always something in the music to reel the listener back in.”

It is an evolution rather than a reinvention, and that distinction matters. Zealot Cult have no interest in abandoning their foundations. "We are a death metal band and we won't stray from that because it's what we want to play," Carey states. "Every band evolves and carries its identity with it. There are plenty of well-documented examples of bands abandoning their roots to chase money or moving into a completely different genre and then looking down on the music that gave them their identity and followers. That won't happen here.”

The visual identity of Psalms of Filth also continues a narrative established with Spiritual Sickness. Acclaimed artist Paolo Girardi once again provides the artwork, with the central Zealot figure offering a direct connection between the two records. "We wanted to keep continuity with the artwork and bring a figure or scene from the previous cover into the new one and elaborate on it further," Carey explains. "It ties in with the album title as well. The Zealot figure on Psalms of Filth is connected to the one on Spiritual Sickness. Paolo was great to work with and always open to collaborating on ideas and themes. What he painted for us is amazing."

The release also marks a new partnership with Awakening Records, although Carey sees it less as a dramatic change of direction and more as another natural progression. "Working with a label like Awakening is perfect for us. We're predominantly a live band, so having a label handling manufacturing and distribution is a huge help. It's another step on the same journey."

And for all the discussion around evolution, artwork and the eight-year journey, the band's ambitions remain refreshingly straightforward. "I just hope people enjoy the album," Carey says. "Hopefully, it makes them want to go back and listen to it again, share it with their friends and come to the gigs.”

For a band that has always done things on its own terms, that feels like the most fitting conclusion. Psalms of Filth is not the sound of Zealot Cult trying to become something they are not. It is the sound of a band eight years older, wiser and more assured, digging deeper into the foundations they have spent almost two decades building.

Psalms of Filth is released on 25th September via Awakening Records.

© Oran O’Beirne 2026