Hide the sheep, hide the goats — Watain have released a new song.

On Jan. 5, the Swedish black metal horde will unchain their sixth album, Wolf Trident Eclipse, and so far, the album bears the hallmarks of the more primeval side of the second wave of black metal, abandoning the more adventurous musical detours taken on their last offering, The Wild Hunt. Naysayers of that black sheep album shouldn't stray from what Watain are bringing here, as "Sacred Damnation" surges with brimstone-born intensity.

There's a black aura of demoniac violence present on this single as sinister tremolo-picked leads dominate the track with flourishes of double kick fills to accent the riffing. It commands the same unnerving, claustrophobic presence of Mayhem's genre-defining De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, with some modern atonal moments thrown into the background during the mid-section's chugging beatdown.

"After 20 years of carving our own path through and out of the world, Trident Wolf Eclipse feels like a worthy point of arrival indeed. One of power and force, shining a new harsh light upon all that has been, those that perished along the way, the life altering struggle and triumphant ecstasy of Watain," the band comments. "Trident Wolf Eclipse is however not about the past, nor the future, it is about here and now, and we sincerely look forward to show you all what that implies. To all those that are as impatient as we are for that day to come; Thank you for your unending support and see you soon."

To pre-order Trident Wolf Eclipse, head to this location and go here to check out the previously released single, "Nuclear Alchemy."

Watain will be bringing their expectedly shocking live show to North America starting on Feb. 9, capping off an exhaustive run in New York City on March 31. Blackened Hellthrashers Destroyer 666 will be along for the ride as the lone support act and all stops can be found at Watain's Facebook page.

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