Swiss atmospheric black metal, doom and blackgaze project Wazzara return with Arbor, their fourth release and first full-length album in five years.
After a decade of making music, Wazzara enter a new chapter with Arbor, an album shaped by darkness, heaviness and ethereal beauty. Drawing from atmospheric black metal, doom and blackgaze, the eight-track record expands on the hypnotic and untamed sound that has defined the Swiss project while introducing a deeper sense of evolution.
Arbor is dedicated to those who are willing to taste the untamed fruit. Across the album, Wazzara explore the presence of an ancient force that may have been buried but never truly broken, alongside voices that were once silenced and are now rising again.
The album brings together songs written between 2023 and 2025, with one notable exception. “zessa (reborn)” revisits the original version that appeared on Wazzara’s 2019 debut EP, zessa. After years of live performances, the song gradually evolved into something different, taking on another identity on stage. “zessa (reborn)” captures that transformation and presents the version that emerged through years of being played live.
For Arbor, Wazzara once again collaborated with Romanian musician and producer Andrei Jumuga, known for his work with Dordeduh, Ordinul Negru, Blutrina and other projects. Jumuga returned as session drummer after performing on Wazzara’s 2021 album CYCLES, while also taking on production duties and adding his own musical character to the record.
The band also brought back Andy Roscyk for the mixing process, drawing on his distinctive approach to create an expansive and powerful sonic landscape. Mastering was handled by Martin Korth, whose extensive work and experience include recordings by artists such as Björk, Vashti Bunyan and UNKLE.
Vocals, bass and guitars were recorded during the summer of 2025 at Wazzara’s home studios in Switzerland, while the drums were recorded during the same period at Consonance Studio in Timișoara, Romania.
Tracklist
- “9 Confines”
- “Hollow”
- “Her Ashes Down The River”
- “Indigo Sleep”
- “Dandelion”
- “Nova”
- “Oceans”
- “Zessa (Reborn)”
ABOUT WAZZARA
Wazzara was created in 2015 as the solo project of Swiss singer and composer Barbara Brawand. The project’s first release, the 2019 EP zessa, paved the way for everything that followed.
In 2020, George Necola joined the project as co-composer and producer, bringing his own musical voice to Wazzara’s evolving sound. Over time, a full live line-up took shape, allowing the project to expand beyond its origins as a solo endeavour.
For a decade, Wazzara have been creating untamed, hypnotizing and captivating sound experiences, drawing listeners into a world where darkness and beauty exist side by side.
With Arbor, Wazzara continue to explore that territory while reaching deeper into the roots of their sound.
