NAMEBEARER’s debut EP Industries of the Fading Sun doesn’t offer comfort or triumph. It’s an extended gaze at what’s left when the world ends—not in fire, but in decay.
Religion, greed, and all the structures that once governed human life are gone. What’s left is ruin, and the slow, haunted movement of those still crawling through it. “This EP lives in that world – where religion, greed, and other human pursuits have failed,” says founding member Brian Tenison. “It follows the last remaining survivors as they navigate a dying landscape, the steps that led them to this point and the uncertainty of what lies ahead.”
Released digitally on May 2, Industries of the Fading Sun is the first full-length artistic statement from the Maine-based black metal duo.
Formed in 2023 as a solo project by Tenison (Eave, Obsidian Tongue-live), NAMEBEARER quickly took shape after the addition of Brendan Hayter (Obsidian Tongue, Obsequiae-live, Thrawsunblat), who initially joined to record session drums.
The chemistry was immediate, and Hayter soon became a full member—contributing vocals, synths, and significant compositional ideas. The EP was mixed by Tenison and mastered by Will Killingsworth (Dead Air Studios), with art and layout by Shannon Jordan.
Lyrics were originally written in English, then translated into Finnish with help from Veera Anttila, and performed in both languages.
Tenison describes the writing process as instinctive and unsparing: “We followed instinct over calculation, committing to what felt honest in each moment.” The result is grim but lucid. Decibel Magazine, which premiered the EP in full, called it “oppressive,” but emphasized the clarity of vision and the alternating vocal textures—howls and sung chants—that cut through the haze.
The atmosphere of Industries of the Fading Sun feels philosophical.
The lyrics, steeped in collapse and aftermath, offer no solutions. NAMEBEARER chooses to explore the debris, not escape it. With the launch of their new collective Hidden Dawn—alongside members of Falls of Rauros and others—they’re also committing to a shared regional vision: raw expression, unpolished truth, and the endurance of artistry when everything else is gone.
Industries of the Fading Sun
This is the fifth song that I wrote for the EP, after starting and scrapping 4 songs before it. Something about the opening riff made me feel like I was finally hitting on something, and I tried to keep that something going for the rest of the EP writing process. The clean singing on this song stands out to me.
When I decided to incorporate clean singing into this EP, I knew that if I were to do it, I’d want to really commit to it entirely and not hold back or do something more standard for the genre. I’d rather belt it out and risk people thinking it’s a little over the top or progressive than to play it safe and simple.
Black Vein, Atom Drum
When writing this song, I went back and forth, wondering if parts of it were too divergent from the rest of the EP or from what I wanted Namebearer to be. There’s a section starting at 3:04 that I considered reworking, or even cutting, but Brendan’s contributions to that part put those doubts to rest. In particular, when he screams the song title at the top of the riff, it invokes an energy that perfectly complements the layering.
Brendan’s drumming and synth work also gave the section a unique, almost hypnotic movement. The clean guitar break at 4:42 was another of his ideas, and all of these aspects of this song really showcase his creative input. Currently, I handle most of the songwriting for Namebearer, but Brendan adds his own compositional touches wherever he sees fit, and he makes a huge impact when doing so. It’s been incredible to see how well this collaborative approach has come together for Industries of the Fading Sun.
“Black Vein, Atom Drum” is a prime example of the creative synergy Brendan and I have found since he became a full member of the band.
Jäätyneen Järven Uumeniss
Roughly translating to “Depths of the Frozen Lake” “Jäätyneen Järven Uumenissa” is a true representation of the mission behind Namebearer. I am heavily inspired by Finnish underground masters such as Circle of Ouroborus, Kêres, and Cosmic Church for their ability to create enveloping atmospheres through a truly unique and raw expressive lens.
No frills, just honest creation. In writing this EP, my focus was to take note of their accomplishments, and let them inform me in the hopes of making an equally effective statement of my own. This song also features the only Finnish singing on the EP. My Finnish is certainly a work in progress, but I took great care in translating the lyrics with a native speaker and working on correct pronunciations. Hopefully I was able to pull it off!
Lumivyöry
This song is the black sheep of the EP to me, even though Crystals Distill to New Earth would probably be the most obvious candidate for that title. I think the flow of this one is different from the other 3, and Brendan really put a lot of his own spin on it between his vocal and synth contributions, and his ideas for the outro. I think his heavy contribution here really distinguish the track and make it a strong closer, and one that lends itself to the thematic feelings of the EP.
Crystals Distill to New Earth
The way that things work in Namebearer currently is that I send Brendan demos of me playing the songs to programmed drums. I also send him versions with a click track and the programmed drums muted, and he ultimately records drums along to those. Often times, once he has recorded his drum parts, it’ll make me want to develop things differently in the riffs and melodies.
On this EP, I ended up making a few sizable changes to the guitar melodies after the final drums were down. Brendan had the idea of creating an outro track that would bring some of those melodies we cut back in, and tie them to some of the other melodies present on the EP. That idea resulted in this track. I love the images this track sparks in my head, following the themes the lyrics have developed and leading them down new paths.
