Harakiri for the Sky

Out of Austria comes Harakiri for the Sky, a post-black-metal project that took shape in 2011 when vocalist JJ, whose full name is Michael Kogler, and multi-instrumentalist Matthias Sollak began working across Salzburg and Vienna. Sollak brought experience from the black metal group Bifröst, and the pair has since drawn a circle of peers from across the post-black-metal scene into its orbit, sharing work with Heretoir, Alcest and Austere.

Their first album, Harakiri for the Sky, arrived in 2012, and it was followed by Aokigahara in 2014, III: Trauma in 2016, Arson in 2018, Mӕre in 2021 and Scorched Earth in 2025, all released through the German label AOP Records. In March 2016 they toured with Der Weg einer Freiheit and The Great Old Ones, and that summer they played Summer Breeze Open Air. Their Amadeus Austrian Music Awards nomination in the Hard & heavy category followed in 2017. Live, JJ and Sollak are joined by bassist Thomas Dornig, drummer Mischa Bruemmer, drummer Krimh and guitarist Marrok.