Viribus Unitis (1914 album)
| Viribus Unitis | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 14 November 2025 | |||
| Studio | Jenny Records (Lviv)[1] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 56:58 | |||
| Label | Napalm | |||
| Producer | Alexander Backlund | |||
| 1914 chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Viribus Unitis | ||||
| ||||
Viribus Unitis is the fourth studio album by the Ukrainian metal band 1914. It was released on 14 November 2025 via Napalm Records. It is the last album to include drummer Rostislaw Potoplacht (Rostyslav Potoplyak), who left the band before its release.
Background and promotion
On 21 August 2025, 1914 announced the name of their fourth studio album Viribus Unitis and its lead single "1916 (The Südtirol Offensive)", which was released the following day.[2][3] On 3 October 2025, the band released the second single "1914 (The Siege of Przemyśl)".[4] On 13 November 2025, they released the third single "1918 Pt. 3: ADE (A Duty to Escape)", one day before the album's release.[5][6]
Lyrics
The album's title, Viribus Unitis, refers to the personal motto of the Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph I.[7] The album's songs tell the story of a Ukrainian soldier, Lviv native, who survived World War I, was held in Italian captivity, and returned home during the Polish-Ukrainian War.[3]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Blabbermouth.net | (8/10)[8] |
| Distorted Sound | (9/10)[9] |
The album was met with positive reviews. Blabbermouth.net rated it with a score of 8 out of 10.[8] Phil Cooper of Distorted Sound scored the album 9 out of 10 and called the album for "far more engaging than just a topical backdrop."[9]
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Dmytro Ternuschak, except the instrumental tracks "War In (The Beginning of the Fall)" and "War Out (The End?)"; all music is composed by 1914, except where noted.[10]
| No. | Title | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "War In (The Beginning of the Fall)" | 1:30 | |
| 2. | "1914 (The Siege of Przemyśl)" | 4:48 | |
| 3. | "1915 (Easter Battle for the Zwinin Ridge)" | 9:14 | |
| 4. | "1916 (The Südtirol Offensive)" | 6:11 | |
| 5. | "1917 (The Isonzo Front)" | 6:34 | |
| 6. | "1918 Pt 1: WIA (Wounded in Action)" | 6:20 | |
| 7. | "1918 Pt 2: POW (Prisoner of War)" (featuring Christopher Scott) | 6:13 | |
| 8. | "1918 Pt 3: ADE (A Duty to Escape)" (featuring Aaron Stainthorpe) | 5:50 | |
| 9. | "1919 (The Home Where I Died)" (featuring Jérôme Reuter) |
| 7:07 |
| 10. | "War Out (The End?)" |
| 3:11 |
| Total length: | 56:58 | ||
Personnel
Credits adapted from Bandcamp.[1]
1914
- Rostislaw Potoplacht[a] – drums
- Ditmar Kumarberg – vocals
- Witaly Wyhovsky – guitar
- Oleksa Fisiuk – guitar
- Armen Howhannisjan – bass
Additional contributors
- Christopher Scott – vocals on "1918 Pt 2: POW (Prisoner of War)"
- Aaron Stainthorpe – vocals on "1918 Pt 3: ADE (A Duty to Escape)"
- Jérôme Reuter – vocals on "1919 (The Home Where I Died)"
- Alexander Backlund – production, mixing
- Tony Lindgren – mastering
- Sofia Ruda – photos
- Vladimir "Smerdulak" Chebakov – cover artwork
Charts
| Chart (2025) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[11] | 19 |
| French Rock & Metal Albums (SNEP)[12] | 98 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[13] | 41 |
| German Rock & Metal Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[14] | 10 |
Notes
References
- ^ a b c "Viribus Unitis | 1914". Bandcamp. Retrieved 17 November 2025.
- ^ "1914 to release new studio album "Viribus Unitis" on November 14th 2025". Grande Rock. 21 August 2025. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
- ^ a b "Гурт 1914: сингл з майбутнього альбому Viribus Unitis". md-eksperiment.org (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 4 November 2025.
- ^ Weaver, James (3 October 2025). "1914 release new music video for '1914 (The Siege of Przemyśl)'". Distorted Sound Magazine. Retrieved 4 November 2025.
- ^ "1914 Release New Single "1918 Pt. 3: ADE (A Duty To Escape)" Feat. AARON STAINTHORPE; Animated Music Video Streaming". BraveWords. 13 November 2025.
- ^ "1914 Premiere New Song & Animated Music Video". Metal Underground.com.
- ^ "1914 Returns With Historically Accurate New Single "1916 (The Südtirol Offensive)"". Metal Injection. 23 August 2025. Retrieved 4 November 2025.
- ^ a b "Blabbermouth review".
- ^ a b Cooper, Phil (14 November 2025). "ALBUM REVIEW: Viribus Unitis – 1914". Distorted Sound Magazine.
- ^ "Viribus Unitis / 1914 / Credits". Tidal. Retrieved 17 November 2025.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – 1914 – Viribus Unitis" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
- ^ "Top Rock & Metal Albums (semaine du 21 novembre 2025)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – 1914 – Viribus Unitis" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
- ^ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts Top 20 Rock/Metal-Charts – 21 November 2025" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 24 November 2025.