BLACK METAL DAILY’S LISTCRUSH 2023: The ALASKAN BERGWANDERER Edition, Part 2

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Yes, it is that time of the year again, where “experts” drop their picks for the best albums of the year. Everyone has their ways of going about such a monumental task, some are very meticulous; tracking plays on Spotify, Bandcamp, and at home with physical media. Then there’s others such as myself, who face existential crisis this time of year, wing a list based on listening habits of the last two or so months, and just hope the picks they present are the *right* picks. Is it the most scientific method to put a list like this together? Absolutely not.

I had thought that 2022 was a difficult year for me to compile a list such as this, in my preferred realm of black(ened) metal, but 2023 proved to be an even more stellar year, with truly great releases being dropped seemingly every single day. This truly is the most difficult time I’ve had putting one of these things together, I cannot stress that enough. And with the onset of certain announcements for January, 2024 looks like it will strive to be better still. What a time to be a music fan!

Anyway, when I put these lists together, these should never be read as any kind of real “order” of best to least best. Well, yes and no. What I mean is, for instance, album #40 isn’t necessarily worse than album #30, and vice versa for which one would be deemed better. Outside of my TOP THREE, the rest of this is a true free for all. Any and all could have occupied another slot on a different day. There were so many killer albums dropped this year that I literally feel bad to not include them all here. Also keep in mind, if I have gone out of my way to buy an album, then chances are I legit liked it. Think of this as a selection of artists I feel are worthy to check out on your own, and worthy of support.

I present to you, the reader, my top 40 picks of 2023:

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THE BEST OF THE REST

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40) OLDE THRONE – In The Land of Ghosts
39) ALBIONIC HERMETICISM – Nova Nativitas Mundi
38) ORDALIE – Mass of Perdition
37) VALRAVN – The Awakening
36) INHERITS THE VOID – The Impending Fall Of The Stars
35) NEBELGRUND – An den Toren von Krieg und Tod…
34) FATHOMAGE – Autumn’s Dawn, Winter’s Darkness
33) SHADOWS OF ALGOL – Transformations Of The Desert Witch
32) WEALD & WOE – For The Good of The Realm
31) VAHRZAW – In The Shallows of A Starlit Lake
30) EMINENTIA TENEBRIS – Rise Of A New Kingdom
29) SCÁTH NA DÉITHE – Virulent Providence
28) TAAKE – Et Hav av Avstand
27) HELLERUIN – Devils, Death, And Dark Arts
26) FOREST THRALL – Amidst Pines
25) TAUBRĄ – Therizo
24) ARIDUS – Serpent Moon
23) KIIRA – Iättömän Sanat
22) SOMBRE HÉRITAGE – Inter Duo Mundi
21) MINENWERFER – Feuerwalze

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AMONG THE BEST

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20) HÄXANU – Totenpass

This is only one of a LOT of insanely high quality black metal releases that emerged from the US scene this year. Alex Poole, multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire, was a very busy dude this year. He dropped albums with Nattfärd, Ringarë, and Krieg this year to go along with what was probably the best of his efforts; this very Häxanu album you’re now reading about. This is melodic black metal of very high order, with soaring melodies to go with equally cut throat passages. Subtle synths help guide the music along the 45 minute journey these eight tracks provide. Great drum parts and a great vocal performance by ‘L.C.‘ are exquisite toppings on an already delicious black metal cake.

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19) IMMORTAL – War Against All

Oh, surprised to see this here? To be quite honest, I would have been as well if not for the fact that Demonaz has successfully steered the Immortal brand back to its more vicious heyday, circa Pure Holocaust and Battles In The North. Now, is it actually as *good* as those two classics? Of course not. But you have to admit it is FANTASTIC seeing Demonaz being able to crank out the nasty riffage on an album himself after so many years of tendon injuries brought on by rehearsing the Blizzard Beasts material for multiple hours a day. And to be perfectly honest, I like his vocal approach. Sure, it’s not Abbath‘s trademark croaking that so many seem to get hung up on missing from these most recent efforts, but it absolutely fits the music regardless. The main riff in ‘No Sun’ ranks among the best of Immortal‘s discography. And no Horgh? No problem. Kevin Kvåle, of Gaahl’s Wyrd fame, more than handles the job behind the skins.

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18) LE PROCHAIN HIVER – Talvi

What a unique entry from the always quality Antiq label. At the very core, this is very much French black metal; Swirling, melodic and very emotive guitars in *that* French style to go along with varied tempo changes and harsh vocals that just sound cool in the native tongue. So what makes this album unique? First off, the use of operatic female vocals. That in itself is nothing new, symphonic black metal bands have been at least attempting that for decades now. What Le Prochain Hiver does differently with them is actually use said voice as part of the songwriting process. It doesn’t sound like an afterthought or a gimmick. Ms Dame Pandora even goes into some more primal stuff at the beginning of ‘Facing The First Snows’ that gives off serious Heilung vibes. It’s glorious. The next thing that stands out at times listening to this album, is the synths. They’re used sparingly, but tracks like ‘Ashes’, for instance, have synth parts that sound more fitting for a Dungeon Synth album more so than a black metal album. Again, not unusual in itself, but more the fact that while there are bands that do the Dungeon Synth/Black Metal thing, most of those bands tend to make the synths be the focus above the black metal. This is inverted, where very much Dungeon Synth moments are used in support of the music around it. It does make sense when you realize that main songwriter and vocalist Hylgaryss does in fact have a couple of Dungeon Synth projects in his stable. The atmosphere of this album is very befitting of the band name (which translates to “Next Winter”), the album title (Finnish word for “winter”) and the album art itself: Cold.

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17) DAEMONIAN – The Frost Specter’s Wrath

A damn fine discovery at the very beginning of the year, Japan’s Daemonian, specifically lone member Lord Metal, takes the template laid out by the Swedish black metal scene of the mid ’90s to the early 2000’s, but adds the machine-like technical proficiency that the Japanese metal scene is known for. This is melodic black metal played with absolutely insane focus. The riffs are literal buzz saws, ripping your head off and flaying your skin, but sounding oh-so-beautiful while doing it. This is a prime example of an absolute GEM that sadly flew under far too many radars this year. Of course, the odd decision to remove the full album streams from both YouTube as well as Daemonian‘s own Bandcamp page most certainly did not help. You can find one track online, ‘King Of The Daemons’ and it paints a fine picture of what to expect on this beast. An ultimate teaser, if you will, as it’s not even the best song on the album.

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16) ATHEOSOPHIA – Shadowgate of Winter’s Spirit

More USBM here. It’s hard not to talk about this album and not mention two of three other albums that were released by one musical mastermind Taurus and (I assume) his label Blood And Crescent. This album, Fellwinter‘s The Dawn of Winter, and Gauntlet Ring‘s Beyond The Veil Of The Night are all prime examples of raw, second wave inspired black metal done right. Riffs are ripping and have a sense of melody to go with the obvious intensity. The vocals are primo throat shredding affairs. The bass offers a nice support for the surrounding riffs. So what sets this Atheosophia album apart from the others? Well, Fellwinter‘s album is probably the most raw of the three, with real precise and straightforward drumming by one Mercenary. Gauntlet Ring‘s album is a little more polished in sound (heavy quotation marks on “polished”), and more freewheeling as Mercenary is let off the reins and just goes absolutely bananas on the kit, giving off a sense of chaos. Atheosophia‘s entry is a nice mix of the other two albums, plus has the best overall sound. It’s still raw, but there is a sense of power that can be felt in the music on this one. The only knock is that its programmed drums, as it is 100% a solo effort by Taurus. However, they sound natural enough and have enough of a human feel that it’s not really that much of a deal breaker… obviously. Yet another top tier effort bubbling up from the deeper underground USBM scene, alongside the likes of Forest Thrall, Obsidian Grave, among many others. Quite honestly, this should be a three-for-one type of entry. You can’t go wrong with any of them.

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15) OBSIDIAN GRAVE – Blood Of The Night

Speaking of Obsidian Grave… this album absolutely floored me upon first listen. While a little more on the raw side than I really typically listen to, the almighty RIFF drew me right on in. Much like the Tyrant album that shares the same cover art from last year, there is a heavier emphasis on influence from both the French and Finnish black metal scenes. The guitars carry both the medieval melodic flair of the former to go with the bulldozing wintry tones of the latter. No weak tracks to be found here, every song kicks you in the guts and dumps you headfirst into deep snow drifts. The vocals, in their mainly deeper mid-range levels give the impression of a predatory beast bellowing into the night and letting the winds carry it away. The fact this is on Dark Adversary Productions probably tells you all you need to know about its sound and quality. The USBM scene strikes yet again.

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14) SAMMALE – Finno-Ugric

Hot on the heels of last year’s self titled effort, Zannibal (of Marrasmieli and Paisaunt fame) is back with another offering of his “Finno-Urgric Forest Metal”, which translates to epic and well written melodic black metal that focuses on the old Finno-Ugric languages, culture and history. The first album, while quite good, I felt was a result of leftover Marrasmieli riffs not used for last year’s ‘Martaiden mailta’, but they were quality enough to warrant use *somewhere*. ‘Finno-Ugric’ on the other hand, feels more like proper focus was given to the sound and lore that Zannibal was striving to create. This very much gives off a feeling of finding an isolated group of people living unaware of the world around them deep in a Finnish forest somewhere. I could go as far as to say its deeply “Pagan” in nature, which it surely is, but it’s not Pagan for the sake of having a Pagan title. Use of jaw harps, acoustic guitars and more folk-like arrangements help add to this ambience. Now, there’s no doubt one will find similarities to Marrasmieli, as that project also creates a feeling of being lost in nature, but not as intensely as this Sammale album. Fans of melodic and deeply atmospheric black metal would do no wrong in checking this one out.

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13) ANCESTRAL BLOOD – Forgotten Myths and Legends-Chapter 1

More USBM on the docket. This is one of a number of releases that take melodic black metal and give it a good dash of classic heavy metal sophistication. Or, you have the opening of ‘The Cronos Stone’ which is straight up heavy metal. Unlike bands such as Moonlight Sorcery or Stormkeep, the guitars are the primary source of the melodies and ‘symphonic’ elements, using keys simply for underlying support. The compositions contained in Forgotten Myths… are of a virtuosic nature. Main songwriter Verigo shows off his fretboard technicality all over the aptly named ‘Sky Fortress of Wizardry’, as one prime example of many on this album. Another unique aspect to these proceedings is the fact that there is a female lead vocalist. While it is getting to be more common these days, it’s still not the norm. In fact, had I not double checked the band line-up in listening to this, I would have missed that fact. I did only find one glaring downside to Circe‘s performance, and that was the use of a really shallow, modern Dani Filth-like shrieking on ‘Through the Enchanted Forests of Illusions’. Thankfully, it’s an isolated incident, and ultimately does not take away from enjoying the album as a whole. If I’m being completely honest, *this* is one example of what I had hoped the newest Moonlight Sorcery would have sounded like.

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12) VALDRIN – Throne of The Lunar Soul

Ok, this *has* to be the highest contingent of US bands I’ve ever had on any one of my best of lists. It seems the talent is exploding, and more and more are succeeding in getting their names out there. Valdrin, much like Ancestral Blood before hand, play a very heavy metal infused style of melodic black metal, but leaning heavier on the symphonic side of things. The compositions here are a bit more complex than Ancestral Blood as well, more virtuosic musicians on full display. A lot of wonderful interplay between the guitars and synths that would make any Finnish band proud, though not *quite* as pure-shred heavy in the lead guitars. Interludes ebb in and out of the songs with perfect flow, the energy never subsiding. Now imagine my shock upon discovering that a) this was album number FOUR, as I was completely unaware of this project before this one, and b) that this is another chapter of a continuous fantasy story they’ve been weaving together since the beginning, with ‘Valdrin’ being the name of the titular character in the tale. Ancestral Blood weaved together their own fantasy stories on their album, but it was more like a collection of short stories while Valdrin is putting together a musical equivalent to a Robert Jordan series. Absolutely mindblowing the dedication needed to pull off something like this. This is another example of what I wanted the new Moonlight Sorcery to sound like. You know, black metal with power/heavy metal elements, not the other way around.

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11) ALDAARON – Majestic Heights, Melancholic Depths

For those uninitiated, Aldaaron plays that distinctly French style of almost hyper melodic, high speed black metal. Not as “medieval” as say Sühnopfer, Véhéhmence, or perhaps Aorlhac, but you get the idea in regards to the riffs and intensity of the compositions. The melodies are absolutely infectious, the songwriting strong enough to make songs that range from 7 to 8 minutes on average not feel like a beatdown on your eardrums. A lot of emotion that pours out of every note plucked, every word screamed, and even every programmed drum beat, as cheesy as that may be. What is most shocking about this album, is how much of a step up it is from Arcane Mountain Cult, just released last year. And a very fine album in itself, a list-worthy effort. But the compositions here are tighter, the playing is tighter, and the production is absolutely divine. Some people may be put off by the programmed drums on this, as there are some pretty ludicrous tom fills throughout… but then you realize a former member in drummer Mörkk plays those exact same kinds of fills on Ordalie‘s Mass of Perdition (also released this year), not to mention the first two Aldaaron albums, and it puts into perspective that a human being absolutely could play these parts. Another sticking point may be how they approach their cover of Dawn‘s The Knell & The World. Instead of playing a note for note cover, they instead reimagined it to be a composition that would fit better overall for the album as a whole. Brilliant move, quite honestly. Can’t recommend this one enough.

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THE BEST OF THE BEST, THE BLACK METAL KNIGHTS

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10) AŪKELS – Meddjan sklāit ten

There had to be at least one extremely late season offering… and this had to be that one. Having dropped on Winter Solstice, I’ve listened to this one multiple times pretty much every day, and I knew it deserved a spot in the top 10. Aūkels is one of a few noteworthy black metal projects by the one simply called ‘W.’. You probably know his other bands, which include Wędrujący Wiatr and Stworz. Aūkels is the project that focuses the most on the importance of nature and returning to the wild. Or as he puts it on the Aūkels Bandcamp page: “Anti-civ anti tech black metal”. The previous two albums featured a decidedly monotonous and repetitive approach to atmospheric black metal, in the best way possible. Not unlike a lot of Slavic bands, specifically ones from the Russian or Ukraine scene, its an approach that helps set an almost meditative mood. Or, an approach that allows the depth and layers of any given song to emerge as you simply sit and soak the music in, using subtle changes and builds throughout the track. In the case of Aūkels, the best place to experience this would be deep in the woods or on top of a mountain somewhere, observing the natural world around you. Well, Meddjan sklāit ten *is* a bit similar in approach, but with more variety to each song, a lot more ebb and flow between fast paced black metal to more introspective moments. Quite honestly, this album reminds me a LOT of the more recent Stworz efforts, except in a “nature rules all” kind of way instead of the “Pagan pride” kind of way. Every moment on this album (which clocks in over an hour in play time) is cohesive, everything fitting into place. Each track flows right into the next, no breaks. Field recordings of birds and nature sounds helped to set the “anti-civ anti-tech” aesthetic. Even 16min ambient tracks like the closing title track absolutely fly by, thanks to the impeccable songwriting and slightly different songwriting approach that keeps a listener engaged throughout. To break down the music itself, this is very guitar-driven material, with very emotive riffs and musical moments. They say “third time’s a charm”, and that is certainly the case here, as this is far and away the best of the Aūkels brand to date, and I would put this up against the newest Wędrujący Wiatr to battle for some of the best atmospheric metal music that W has come up with. No joke.

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09) MOURNING FOREST – L’Immonde Fanaison

Modern melodic black metal in the signature French way, plain and simple. Plenty of 2nd Wave inspiration, plenty of *those* French melodies on the guitars, plenty of awesome bass playing, and plenty of fantastic drum work, to go with a vocal performance that is a bit reminiscent of one Attila because of how Balkor uses his voice. And not to mention a rather high quality level of production to ensure everything is heard as intended. This was an album I got into at the beginning of the year, and the holding power it has is for real. Their use of build ups to explode into intense parts is almost unrivaled by many on this list. Almost. More on that one later. This being another rather lengthy album (75 min to be specific), there *are* times that things start hitting a bit of a lull, your attention can start to waver… but then a most glorious and epic riff erupts out of nowhere and brings you right back in. After a few of those moments, I came to the conclusion that this had to be a conscious decision by the band. They knew exactly what they were doing with the songwriting. They knew they would have listeners wrapped around their fingers. The bastards… anyway, this flew under a lot of radars and definitely deserves a lot more attention.

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8) SÜHNOPFER – Nous sommes d’Hier

What can I say about this that I have not already said in my review on this very hallowed site? This is the cream of the crop as far as that baroque style of hyper-melodic and medieval black metal, no doubt. To reiterate a couple points from said review; This is a fine return to form, a true sequel to 2014’s Offertoire. Listening to this truly makes 2019’s Hic regnant Borbonii manes feel like a departure, a side quest if you will, in its exploration of melodies and such that is key to the medieval French province of Bourbon. A fine album in itself, no doubt but Nous… is *the* sound we typically associate with Sühnopfer, and as I said in the original review, this is possibly the best Sühnopfer album to date. Read all my other meandering thoughts (*HERE*).

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7) KRAHNHOLM – Конец Трагедий

Man oh man… this is a band I have greatly appreciated for a few years now, having their full discography to date, and enjoying the progress they have made in their sound over time. Previous efforts, especially 2021’s A Wind In The Cold Night, could be compared to the likes of perhaps Drudkh or Vspolokh and the like, Конец Трагедий (Konets Tragedy) would be something that would appeal to fans of the Blazebirth Hall, at least musically speaking. ‘A Wind…’ had hints of this influence for sure, but had a variety of melodic bridges to change the mood and break things up. Конец Трагедий is lean and mean, very stripped down, not unlike the BBH old guard. Another point of comparison could be Windswept‘s The Great Cold Steppe. In either case, the mood-changing melodic bridges I mentioned earlier are dumped off on the side of the road somewhere and we are left with droning, occasionally melodic riffs that are all instant earworms and just create that vast atmosphere of being lost, standing on a cliff looking over a massive mountain valley. Oh, and a snowstorm is blowing in. Can’t forget that. My favorite moments on this album are ones like the latter part of Тирании Предел (Tyranny’s Limit). We go from a very methodical and plodding pace and suddenly explode into blast beats, while keeping that droning, meditative riff approach. So good. This album is SO GOOD. There are still a very limited number of CD’s available for sale outside of Russia, and I would highly suggest picking one up. And pick up their other albums while you’re at it. This is an unheralded band in a historically great scene!

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6) BLODTÅR – Det Förtegna Förflutna

Ok, explain to me how a label, a reputable label, like Nordvis can release an album like *this* and get little fanfare for it. Right from the get go, opening track ‘En krona av is’ establishes that this is going to be heavy on the Scandinavian folk melodies, not unlike Storm or Isengard. But then tracks like ‘Ur mörker’ and ‘Den fördärvande sorgbundheten’ kick you in the teeth with pure black metal moments delivered with the intensity of a Dark Funeral or classic Thy Primordial. I’ve even referenced this album as Windir played at the intensity of Dark Funeral, in fact. You know what else this reminds me of? Way back in the day, twenty years ago, there was a band from Norway called Ásmegin that released an album called Hin vordende Sod & Sø, and contained therein was a volatile mix of metalized Norwegian folk music with more intense black and death metal moments, with some over the top blast beats and double bass. While it could be a bit jarring when they jumped from one extreme to the other (which really wasn’t as often as you’d think), I feel like it was a template that was established, and now Blodtår emerges with what that mix could be. The transitions between the folk and the fury is smooth as silk, with the guitars leading the way. Carl proves to be yet another top-tier Swedish guitar talent, to go along with his savage vocals and melodic bass playing. But, I think the true star of the show is drummer H. Alarcón C. Until I actually looked on Metal Archives and in the booklet, I had assumed it was programmed drums. We’re talking moments that approach peak Dominator at times, between the blast beats and the fills. All in all, this is a wonderfully varied album that keeps one foot in old Folk Metal traditions while keeping the other in extremely melodic black metal. Superb.

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5) ГРОМОВЕРЖ (GROMOVERZH) – Издревле (Izdrevle)

Do you miss the glory days of Temnozor? Specifically albums like Вольницей в просинь ночей (Folkstorm of the Azure Nights)? Well my friends, have I got news for you! The one and only Stringsskald, perhaps most notable for the one lone Walknut album, wrote a bunch of music between 2001 and 2010 during his time with Temnozor. He started working on doing something with this music in 2015, and some 8 years later we have the GLORY that is Gromoverzh. This truly is a long lost Temnozor record, with everything from the raging Russian black metal riffage on up to the multiple flautists (yes, multiple) laying down enough flute tracks to make Ian Anderson proud. While it is a point of contention for some folks, I for one am all about the use of it. It is such an unusual thing to slap on top of a black metal album, but I love the fact that it’s not a typical instrument for such a record in this genre of music. The songwriting, unsurprisingly, is top notch. Good enough to where they can slap a just about 30 minute track smack in the middle of this album and you really don’t notice the difference. The multiple movements of ‘Меч Вольгаста (в 6-ти частях)’ ( Volgast’s Sword (in 6 parts) ) flow right on into another, and it just… flies by. Somehow the song does not get crushed by its own atmospheric weight, and in fact feels like there really is not much fat to trim off of it. Aside from that one lone (and very long) song, every track here has Stringsskald‘s trademark riff mastery that sounds equally like past black metal relics as well as the modern day sound. One helluva way to get your name back on the scene! No clue if this is something that will be a one and done type of thing, or if the project will continue to push forward with this style of folky, Pagan-themed melodic black metal. We shall see…

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4) TREST – Sorginak

The anonymous Germans returned this year with more tales of wrongfully convicted and executed so-called witches, this time on Sorginak highlighting six victims (by name) of the Basque Witch Trials, at the tail end of the Spanish Inquisition. To musically represent this, I felt that Trest takes a very Slavic approach to their black metal; pummeling drums, droning riffs, atonal melodies, and deeper register vocals that just reek of horror and impending doom. Each time I listened to this, I pulled more finite details out of the murky production. You can read my expanded thoughts in my original review (*HERE*).

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3) WINTARNAHT – Anþjaz

I tried like hell to get people turned onto this one upon its release way back in March, to little avail. Even so-called Dauþuz fans couldn’t seem to be bothered with this, and I could not tell you why. The riffs are quite reminiscent of what you’d hear on a Dauþuz release, the mass variety of vocal delivery is like what you’d hear on a Dauþuz release, and that is no surprise given the main man Grimwald is also one of the main guys *in* Dauþuz. Alas, we are not talking about a Dauþuz album, but instead one of the very best Pagan themed black metal albums of the year. As I originally stated in my review, this is no gimmick. Grimwald dives deep into Germanic history, using the ancient Old High German language and going deeper into Shamanistic atmosphere. No surface level fake shit to be found. Read all about it (*HERE*).  

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THE PRINCE OF THE KINGDOM

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2) STRAHOR – Gde Vukovi Zavijaju

Despite being numero dos on my list for the year, this was quite likely my most listened to album this year. The young buck behind this Serbian based project, Volkh, graced us with a volatile mix of freezing Slavic riffs, second-wave sensibilities, and ran it through a COARSE heavy metal filter, all while not being afraid to inject a little thrash and a little folk and doom elements here and there. Every song was an absolute earworm, with ‘For Those Who Follow The Heart’ easily being my anthem of 2023. Volkh was limited by having to self release this and promote himself best he could via the usual social media means, but this is yet another album GROSSLY underappreciated by the general black metal masses. May Volkh‘s wolves forever howl for years to come. As with all of my top 5 picks, I did write a full review, which can be viewed (*HERE*).

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THE KING OF THE REALM

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1) AULD RIDGE – Folklore From Further Out

I called it. I proclaimed it in the collab review I did with fellow BMD scribe GOS. I said that, and I quote, “O.W.G.A. is standing on a castle turret, awaiting all challengers to come and lay claim to the throne he is currently occupying. The gauntlet has been thrown down”. I said this back in early May, and the prophecy has been fulfilled. Nobody took the throne from O.W.G.A., although Strahor made a good run at it. I mentioned that the Strahor was my most listened to album of the year, so what gives? How did this still be number one? Well, whenever I had any thought of Strahor taking my number one spot, I would throw this guy back on, and it was as clear as day why this wouldn’t budge. Think of the difference between a brash young warrior and a seasoned knight/chieftain/what have you. The brash young warrior has the strength, charisma and power to win duels and battles on his own, sure, but the seasoned one has refined his skills, distilled his art to deadly precision. Strahor has exuberant riffs and a lot of exciting ideas all over the place. Auld Ridge is more calculated, every note of every part in the place it needs to be in to make the entire album as a whole impenetrable and be able to dispatch all comers with far less effort. It’s a level of class that is really difficult to describe except that you can just simply HEAR it in every song. Even the folk tunes are presented with the same level of care as any of the metal tracks, they were not thrown on as gimmicky interludes. This is god-tier stuff.

And, perhaps I’m just simply more vested in this project than any other from this year. Hell, I’m more vested in this *circle* of projects than any other this year, as The Hermetic Order of Ytene puts out truly elite material. I got to do the collab review for this (see it *HERE*), as well as Albionic Hermeticism‘s Nova Navitivas Mundi (which is *HERE*), and also had the opportunity to help GOS with the ONE AND ONLY EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW that O.W.G.A. granted this year, which you have to check out. Go *HERE* and be blown away by the thorough and thoughtful responses. It was destiny that this would be my number one, and STAY my number one.

All hail the king, Auld Ridge has claimed the throne of my 2023 Black Metal Albums Of The Year! 

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LISTCRUSH CONTINUES SOON.

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TRACK PREMIERE: ‘For Death & Glory’ by WEALD & WOE

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Blood flows down the blade

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Today, Black Metal Daily is proud to partner with Fiadh Productions and Transmissions From The Dark to bring you a taste of magic, battle, steel and triumph: the exclusive premiere and lyric video of ‘For Death and Glory’, by US medievalists WEALD & WOE.

If you’re not familiar with the work of Messrs. Artos, Zak, Isiah and Brent, their richly evocative 2020 debut album The Fate of Kings and Men was excellent – and now, the striking follow up For the Good of the Realm shall ensure their name be heralded in song throughout history evermore, in all the furthest corners of the globe. These men are men of fire, flesh and metal, and this album is without a shadow of doubt one of the finest offerings of our year.

But, what of ‘For Death and Glory’? What of it, indeed. Continuing with the intoxicating blend of Obsequiae-esque black/heavy metal hymns that made their debut so damned good, a brief introduction of medieval folk melody and crashing chords begins to weave the magic, transporting you right back to days of yore… before the song bursts to life in with a spectacular roar. Their insistent black metal savagery seething underneath tapestries of triumphant, grand resonance is simply breathtaking; the superb sense of melody and incredible riffwork propelling the track forward… but, perhaps most importantly, There’s a sense of welcoming to the song. It’s as if you’ve stumbled upon a band of brother warriors, come together to fight, and they’re opening their arms for you to join them in their crusade. By the time the track progresses to the final, epic, headbanging passages you’ll be ready to join them with all your heart.

About this stirring track, the band imparts:

“Nearly every song on ‘For The Good of The Realm’ is a rumination on death, but ‘For Death & Glory’ is the most direct. It asks: ‘Will I be remembered? Will I have made a difference?’ I think that every person who lived by the sword would have asked this and wondered if their brief time on this Earth counted for something. When you give your life in the name of something greater, be that a kingdom or lord, much is made of your sacrifice and honor, but, when the day is done, will your name live on in song and rhyme or will you be just another nameless headstone?”

Only you can answer that question. But, one thing is for sure: Weald & Woe will be by your side as you do, sword raised high and charging forwards… For Death & Glory.

Death & Glory releases September 1st via Fiadh Productions.

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Pre-order Death & Glory digitally now via the Weald & Woe Bandcamp HERE and the Fiadh Productions Bandcamp HERE, or purchase on CD and CS September 1st from those locations.

Support WEALD & WOE:

• Official Facebook
• Official Bandcamp
• Official Instagram

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Follow Black Metal Daily on Facebook, Instagram, Spotify and Bandcamp HERE for more cult sounds and tonal blasphemy.

BLACK METAL DAILY’S LISTCRUSH 2020: The Dex Edition, Part 3 – Full-Length Albums

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Greetings, infernal warbröethers and all that. After a marathon stretch we’re finally here, hammering the last rusty nail into our 2020 LISTCRUSH series – the full-length albums that resonated most with me throughout 2020. At a cursory glance, Metal Archives has 3146 full-length black metal albums logged as being released last year. Of those, I probably only checked out around a thousand, tops. So remember: this is in no way a definitive list. I’m not the grand arbiter of taste or final word on anything. These are just the records that tickled my own personal blasphemy glands juuuust right.

The original shortlist was over 200 albums long and I’ve (excruciatingly) whittled it down to a hundred of the finest – there is no “near misses” section, because in a year in which we were absolutely spoiled for good music as most had much else better to do in quarantine, there are simply too many that would have very deservedly made the cut.

There are records that immediately blew my mind (number 92, number 2, number 8), records that crept up over time to become firm favourites (number 31), expected hypebeasts (number 4) and records that deserve FAR more attention (59, 63). There were things of beauty (58, 24) and ugliness (49, 38). There are records that I fell asleep to almost every night since they were released (number 3), thrilling new discoveries (95), old masters making a triumphant return (6)… and in the case of number ONE, records that unleashed their black irradiant glories extremely late in the year yet annihilated everything else that had come before.

If any of the album titles are highlighted, clicking that will take you to our coverage of the album (reviews, premieres, interviews and all that good stuff). This list is strictly black/blackened, so if you’d like recommendations for other genres hit me up – for example my top death metal album was Ulcerate, of course, followed by Atræ Bilis. I’d probably give label of the year to the untouchable Debemur Morti Productions and if you want to check out what I consider to be the strongest demos, EPs or Splits I heard last year, read Part 1 HERE and Part 2 HERE.

That’s it. Have at it, Listcrush is finally done for another year. Hails.

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TOP 100 ALBUMS OF 2020

100. FORTRESS OF THE OLDEN DAYS – Verlassenheit (Worship Tapes / A Pile Of Graves)

99. ENEPSIGOS – Wrath Of Wraths (Osmose Productions)

98. ANCIENT BURIAL – Beyond The Watchtowers (Signal Rex)

97. ONIRIK – The Fire Cult Beyond Eternity (I, Voidhanger Records)

96. BLATTARIA – Dream, Dwell, Die (Harlequinflesh / A Fine Day To Die Records)

95. OLD NICK – Pretty Much Everything They Released This Year (Grime Stone Records)

94. CURSE UPON A PRAYER – Infidel (Saturnal Records)

93. GRAVEIR – King Of The Silent World (Impure Sounds / Brilliant Emperor)

92. REVERORUM IB MALACHT – Vad är inte sju huvud? (Le Narthécophore / Rubeus Obex)

91. VAMPIRSKA – Tortuous Omens of Blood & Candlewax (Crown & Throne)

90. MAVORIM – Axis Mundi (Purity Through Fire)

89. MYSTRAS – Castles Conquered And Reclaimed (I, Voidhanger Records)

88. DUMAL – The Confessor (Fólkvangr Records / Vigor Deconstruct)

87. AKHLYS – Melinoë (Debemur Morti Productions)

86. YGG – The Last Scald (Ashen Dominion)

85. HORNA – Kuoleman Kirjo (World Terror Committee)

84. KHTHONIIK CERVIIKS – Æequiizoiikum (Iron Bonehead Productions)

83. GRÓGALDR – Illness Unto The Womb Of Spirit (GoatowaRex / Perverse Homage)

82. EBONY PENDANT – Incantation Of Eschatological Mysticism (ASRAR / Forbidden Sonority / Grime Stone Records)

81. STARLESS DOMAIN – Alma (Crown & Throne / Aesthetic Death / Tartarus Records)

80. GJENDØD – Angrep (Hellthrasher Productions)

79. STARCAVE – Final Sins (GoatowaRex)

78. FAIDRA – Six Voices Inside (Northern Silence Productions)

77. THECODONTION – Supercontinent (I, Voidhanger Productions / Repose Records)

76. AFSKY – Ofte jeg drømmer mig død (Vendetta Records / Old Mill Artefacts / Screaming Skull Records)

75. GUIGNOL NOIR – Mantric Malediction (Repose Records)

74. ODRAZA – Rzezcom (Godz Of War)

73. BAŠMU – The Encircling (Independent)

72. ABSTRACT THE LIGHT – Magna Sapientia Quaerere – to the depths of thy soul… (Talheim Records)

71. WEALD & WOE – The Fate of Kings and Men (Fólkvangr Records)

70. WARDAEMONIC – Acts Of Repentance (Transcending Obscurity Records)

69. MAQUAHUITL – At The Altar Of Mictlampa (GoatowaRex)

68. BLOOD STRONGHOLD – Spectres Of Bloodshed (Nebular Carcoma / Satanik Requiem)

67. OLHAVA – Lagoda (Avantgarde Music)

66. LAMPIR – Awaiting The Predatory Dreamscape (Altare Productions / Perverse Homage)

65. STREAMS OF BLOOD – Erløsung (Rising Nemesis Records / The Hidden Art)

64. PRISON OF MIRRORS – De Ritualibus et Sacrificiis ad Serviendum Abysso (Oration / Norma Evangelium Diaboli)

63. PETRINE CROSS – Centuries of August (Panurus Productions)

62. FLUISTERAARS – Bloem (Eisenwald)

61. OLDOWAN GASH – Hubris Unchained (Drakkar Productions)

60. VENGEFUL SPECTRE – 殞煞 Vengeful Spectre (Pest Productions)

59. VUAL – To End All Life (Independent)

58. NODUS TOLLENS – Melancholic Waters Ablaze With the Fires of Loss (Trepanation Recordings / Pacific Threnodies)

57. BLACK FUNERAL – Scourge Of Lamashtu (Iron Bonehead Productions)

56. VOUS AUTRES – Sel de Pierre (Season Of Mist Underground Activists)

55. OLD SORCERY – Sorrowcrown (Essential Purification Records / White Wolf Productions)

54. ÄKTH GÁNAHËTH – Crowned In Shadows (Death Kvlt Productions)

53. MRTVI – Omniscient Hallucinatory Delusion (Transcending Obscurity Records)

52. ENTROPY CREATED CONSCIOUSNESS – Antica Memoria di Dis: Acheron & Lethe (Fólkvangr Records)

51. BÜTCHER – 666 Goats Carry My Chariot (Osmose Productions)

50. SVRM – Занепад (Vigor Deconstruct)

49. DEARTH – To Crown All Befoulment (Sentient Ruin Laboratories)

48. VETËVRAKH – Dominion Of Terror (Black Gangrene Productions)

47. VOID PRAYER – The Grandiose Return to the Void (Black Gangrene Productions / Altare Productions)

46. BOREAL – The Battle Of VOSAD (King Of The Monsters / Nebulae Artifacta / Realm & Ritual)

45. DEATH.VOID.TERROR – To The Great Monolith II (Repose Records)

44. YMIR – Ymir (Werewolf Records)

43. ÁRSTÍĐIR LIFSINS – Saga á tveim tungum II: Eigi fjǫll né firðir (Ván Records)

42. BELORE – Journey Through Mountains And Valleys (Northern Silence Productions)

41. VASSAFOR – To The Death (Iron Bonehead Productions)

40. DWARROWDELF – Evenstar (Northern Silence Productions)

39. VOIDSPHERE – To Sense | To Perceive (Amor Fati Productions / Prava Kollektiv)

38. OMEGAVORTEX – Black Abomination Spawn (Invictus Productions)

37. MALOKARPATAN – Krupinské Ohne (Invictus Productions / The Anja Offensive)

36. DARKENHÖLD – Arcanes & Sortilèges (Les Acteurs de l’ombre)

35. HÄXENZIJRKELL – Die Nachtseite (Amor Fati Productions)

34. ISOLERT – World In Ruins (Nihilistische Klangkunst)

33. SERPENT NOIR – Death Clan OD (World Terror Committee)

32. SVARTSYN – Requiem (Carnal Records)

31. HYRGAL – Fin de Règne (Les Acteurs de l’ombre)

30. MÄLEFICENTT – Night Of Eternal Darkness (Night Of The Palemoon)

29. CÉNOTAPHE – Monte Verità (Nuclear War Now! Productions)

28. GRIFFON – ὸ θεός ὸ βασιλεύς’ (o Theos, o Basileu) (Les Acteurs de l’ombre)

27. FANEBÆRER – Den første ild (Nattetale)

26. AARA – En Ergô Einai (Debemur Morti Productions)

25. ACHERONTAS – Psychic Death: The Shattering Of Perceptions (Agonia Records)

24. HÖSTBLOD – Dikter om döden (Fólkvangr Records, Winter Sky Records, Le Narthécophore)

23. TURIA – Degen van Licht (Eisenwald)

22. SKÁPHE – Skáphe³ (Mystískaos, Iron Bonehead Productions, Vánagandr)

21. KAWIR – Adrasteia (Iron Bonehead Productions)

20. BURIER – In Communion With Death (GoatowaRex)

19. CETUS – Khaosmos (Elderblood Productions)

18. GRAFVITNIR – Death’s Wings Widespread (KFT Produktion, Carnal Records) 

17. SEVEROTH – Vsesvit (Avantgarde Music)

16. GRIFTESKYMFNING – Bedrövelsens Härd and Malignant Morningstar (Darker Than Black)

15. CARVED CROSS – Severance of Disparity in Absolute Acrimony (Death Shadow Records)

14. OBSKURITATEM – Hronika iz mraka (Black Gangrene Productions)

13. ANAAL NATHRAKH – Endarkenment (Metal Blade Records)

12. ORANSSI PAZUZU – Mestarin kynsi (Nuclear Blast)

11. IFERNACH – The Green Enchanted Forest of the Druid Wizard (Tour de Garde)

10. HAVUKRUUNU – Uinuos Syömein Sota (Naturmacht Productions)

9. AVERSIO HUMANITATIS – Behold The Silent Dwellers (Debemur Morti Productions, Sentient Ruin Laboratories)

8. PRECAMBRIAN – Tectonics (Primitive Reaction) 

7. KATAVASIA – Magnus Venator (Floga Records)

6. ONDSKAPT – Grimoire Ordo Devus (Osmose Productions)

5. SELBST – Relatos De Angustia (Debemur Morti Productions)

4. LAMP OF MURMUUR – Heir of Eliptical Romanticism (Death Kvlt Productions)

3. PAYSAGE D’HIVER – Im Wald (Kunsthall)

2. KOMMODUS – Kommodus (GoatowaRex)

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1. ABIGOR – Totschläger (A Saintslayer’s Songbook) (World Terror Committee)

I originally intended to keep it simple and wasn’t going to write anything at all about any album on this list, but I simply have to say a few words about this diabolical gem. After TT blew me away at the death of 2019 with the dazzling NEDXXX (well, personnel are still as-yet unconfirmed but I’d bet a solid hundred that he and Rune from Shaarimoth were involved) he’s done it again with Abigor‘s twelfth album, Totschläger (A Saintslayer’s Songbook). I’ve been listening to these nine tracks repeatedly since release and over countless spins each experience brings something new to appreciate and astound – be it tiny details in each intricate composition, or an entirely new favourite track each time. Silenius from Summoning puts in what may be the best performance of his life here, too – I liked Höllenzwang, but this proves Abigor remain at the absolute top of the game. I mean, just check out the final moments of album closer ‘Terrorkommando Eligos’ – what other band would have the testicular fortitude and sheer unbridled ability to pull off what’s ostensibly a minute or two of wild, slavering, black metal drum & bass?

THIS is, hands down, the best black metal album of the year for me. Listen to it. Hail Abigor.

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Ultimate respect to all artists, labels, writers and supporters of the black arts. You are all lords.

Like Black Metal Daily on Facebook for more cult sounds and tonal blasphemy.

Email: blackmetaldaily@outlook.com

ALBUM PREMIERE & INTERVIEW: ‘The Fate of Kings and Men’ by WEALD & WOE

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I am a forest

And a night of dark trees;

But he who is not afraid

Of my darkness,

Will find banks full of roses

Under my cypresses.

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WEALD & WOE. The very name conjures rich imagery of times both archaic and arcane. Times of magic, mystery, adventure, deep lore and vivid histories… which, incidentally, is exactly what we get on the ripping debut album from these fine gentlemen, The Fate Of Kings And Men.

Well, I say gentlemen but these hymns of olde are moreso the product of just one fine gentleman: the talented Artos (also of By Fire & Sword) who takes care of every element bar the drums (expertly performed by Maelstrom). And before you make any assumptions, I don’t mean adventure in an epic black metal, Tolkien-worship sense either – think instead along the lines of Obsequiae, but with more gnarled metal riffs to feed your soul and a deep, underlying blackness that puts that project to shame. Sound good? It is, my friend. It is.

Yes, these songs shred. Some soar, packed full of moments that’ll make you want to bang your head in triumphant celebration. Others rage with an unrestrained primal darkness, whilst others still careen along like they could fly off the rails at any time. Many do all of that at once. But they’re also sophisticated, in a way, and incredibly down to earth – much like Artos himself, as you’ll see we discovered in our in-depth chat with the robed mystic. Needless to say, we’re beyond honoured to partner with the always exquisite Fólkvangr Records to share the exclusive full stream of this remarkable debut album with you, ahead of the limited cassette launch on October 23rd.

So, heed the call. Submit to sound and word below… and if you’ve never heard the raw majesty of Weald & Woe before, prepare yourself for the best album you’ll discover by an unknown band this year. I guarantee it.

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Greetings, Artos! It’s a pleasure to speak with you today for the full stream of The Fate of Kings and Men. Now, I’d like to start with a little history, if I may – how did Weald & Woe come to exist? I believe you were already doing your fantasy/religion based heavy/power metal project By Fire & Sword at the time. What was the catalyst for heading in the much darker direction of Weald & Woe?

– My pleasure, thanks for the time. That’s correct, By Fire & Sword had really just started rolling as far as gigging and recording, which was around the summer of 2018. I had been in a bit of a dark place for a while and I was listening to a lot of Immortal and Bathory at the time – At the Heart of Winter and Hammerheart specifically – and found myself with a pile of riffs that were not suitable for By Fire & Sword, but I couldn’t let them go. Those ended up being the songs on the first EP Eternal Grave. By Fire & Sword is not a place where I pour my emotions since it’s so thematically driven, and Weald & Woe was a place I could channel what I was going through at the time.

The overall sound of Weald & Woe is fascinating; an incredible composite of rockin’ midwestern riffs, medieval & folk elements and sheer black metal fury. How did you develop this style? What bands were you listening to in your musical development that led you to writing material like this?

– For writing periods, I try to actively not listen to a lot of music, because I know that little bits of what I’m listening to will work its way into the writing. As a child we always had music around. My mom was big into country music and my dad showed me Pink Floyd, Ozzy Osbourne, Yes, things like that. In high school I was big into Metallica and thrash, more shred-oriented stuff. I didn’t really get into black metal and adjacent styles until my early 20s and kind of discovered black metal and death metal at the same time. I responded more viscerally to black metal and that’s the path I’ve been on ever since. Lately, I listen to a lot of more ‘New Age’ type music; I’m huge into Enya and Monastery and I listen to the Howard Shore scores for the Lord of the Rings movies quite a bit. I spend a lot of time in medieval/folk based playlists on Spotify, I like Andrei Krylov a lot. For heavier music I listen to a lot of Bathory, the 90s period of Immortal, Wintersun, Forefather, et. al, but Obsequiae is far and away my biggest influence, with Godkiller’s The Rebirth of the Middle Ages as a close second. Those two live on repeat in my headphones. 

I can definitely hear the Obsequiae influence! Now, after a killer EP and split with Candlewolf Disciple, The Fate of Kings and Men is your debut full-length. What was the writing and recording period of the album like? Have you been working on this material for a while?

– Thank you, we were very pleased with how that split turned out. I started writing the album in the Fall of 2019 and finished just after Winter earlier this year, right before everything got shut down, roughly 6 months or so. Writing tends to be pretty easy for me when I feel inspired or have an idea of what I’m chasing. Winter and the Holidays are pretty rough for me usually, so I was not lacking inspiration this time around. When I’m ‘cold,’ I can go a month or more without writing anything, which I’m thankful doesn’t happen very often. I’m lucky to have a lot of musician friends so whenever I finish up a rough demo of a song I’ll pass it around to a couple to get their thoughts and then go back and tweak things based on suggestions or after I’ve let them sit for a while. I record everything except the drums myself, so recording can go very quickly depending on how particular I’m feeling at the time. This writing process was just me holed up in my studio in my apartment for hours on end, trying to get my thoughts from my hands into the computer.

Do you feel you achieved everything you wanted to during the creation of the album? Are there any aspects of it or particular moments that you personally are especially proud of?

– I’m incredibly proud. I think the album turned out exactly how it was meant to. I would have loved the opportunity to get more folk instruments and choirs and stuff worked in, but that wasn’t in the cards (or my wallet) this time. Specifically I am the most proud of ‘The Land of Forgotten Suns’. That was one of the first songs that kind of kicked off the whole process and holds great meaning for me. I still get goosebumps when I hear it a lot of the time. I also thought ‘The Sadness of Mortal Man’ turned out excellent for being more of a shred track in the middle of a black metal album.

When listening through The Fate Of Kings And Men I obviously can’t help but think of sword & sorcery or history-based novels/games. Are you a big fan of these genres? Have you been inspired by any particular franchises, series or games?

– You’re entirely on the right track. I consume sword & sorcery like a maniac, and I’m huge into medieval-era history. I’m a pretty voracious reader so I spend a lot of my free time in fantasy environments. The Lord of The Rings has been a huge influence on me, and I find a lot of it in the music I like and even in my own music. I’ve always got it around. Terry Goodkind’s ‘Sword of Truth’ series has been hugely influential to me, George R. R. Martin, Asa Drake, Michael Moorcock, Robert Jordan, I love them all and could talk about them all day. ‘The Last Kingdom’ and ‘Britannia’ have been some of my favorite shows lately. Anything with swords and magic and I’m probably going to watch it. I play a lot of Dungeons & Dragons inspired video games, and have been playing Pathfinder with a regular group for several years. 

Man, I love the ‘Sword Of Truth’ series in particular… Rest In Power, Mr. Goodkind. Moving on to themes – the Bandcamp page shows the lyric “I am a forest, and a night of dark trees: but he who is not afraid of my darkness, will find banks full of roses under my cypresses.” I’ve not had the opportunity to read the rest of the lyrics as yet but that one seems like it could be meant either in a narrative sense as spoken by a character, or as a fantasy-based euphemism for yourself. What do the lyrics deal with on the record? Are they telling tales, or perhaps more personal?

– That’s actually a Nietzsche quote that I thought fit the album really well. I didn’t attribute it because people tend to try to look for deeper meaning in things when you put ‘Nietzsche’ next to them. It isn’t that deep. The album is a concept album and narratively, it’s pretty basic. A warrior encounters a problem he cannot solve and goes about trying to solve it. Lyrically, I took a bunch of issues and questions I had about life, death, existentialism, what-have-you and worked them into a narrative and let the main character hash them out throughout the album. So it is a story, but it’s personal to my issues, perspective and beliefs. Several of the songs are actually from the point of view of other characters, and some of the songs change POV in the verses, etc. I think you’d have to read the lyrics to catch it. I’m someone who spends a lot of time in my head and I can go pretty dark pretty fast so giving these problems to a character and building a story to have them encountered was a good way to give myself new perspective and wrestle those demons, while trying to make for an interesting narrative.

The energy and passion in these songs is remarkable, tracks like ‘Fate of Kings and Men’, the instrumental ‘Sadness’ and ‘The Blade Once Buried’ sound like they don’t only translate well to the live arena but are an absolute ball for you to play as well. How has this material been received when you’ve played it out? 

– The only songs off this album that we’ve been able to play live have been ‘Our Sorrow Was Great’ and ‘The Seer and The Bird’, but the feedback has been fantastic. People have noticed the shifts in the songwriting and style from being balls-out “I hate everything and everyone” to “I still feel that way, but here’s a more elegant way of saying it,” and that has been very rewarding. There’s certainly still a lot of room for complete aggression – ‘Our Sorrow Was Great’ is the most aggressive track on the album and I placed it first for a reason – but as much as I love blast beats and going 100mph, sometimes you want to say things in a different way. We were going to play quite a few of the new songs at a show we had scheduled with Rotting Christ, Borknagar and Wolfheart, but that got rescheduled to 2021 because of the pandemic. We had a number of things in the works and everything has been very quiet since then. More time to read, I guess.

Hah, exactly. Speaking of that unfortunately rescheduled show – are there any more on the horizon? 

– At this point in time, we have nothing scheduled. We live in a region (Boise, ID) that has done a pretty poor job of handling the crisis so things have opened and then closed and opened again and closed again, so that’s been tough. Our best venues are in bars, and almost no one is hosting live music right now. As soon as we’re able we’re planning to set up an album release show, but it’s hard to forecast when we’d actually be able to do that, but likely not until it’s safe to do so. We’d like to do some touring next year if able, and we’re always open to suggestions and invitations if someone feels like dropping us a line for opportunities.

In terms of physical releases, The Fate Of Kings And Men will be presented on cassette under the banner of the excellent Fólkvangr Records. How did this come to pass? Are there further formats on the way?

– I’d been a fan of Fólkvangr for quite some time, and I thought the album would fit in the catalogue nicely so I sent it over and they were on board pretty quickly. I had sent it to a couple of other labels who didn’t really seem interested or just didn’t get back to me, but Fólkvangr was enthusiastic and prompt and that carries a lot of weight with me. It’s a big honor for me – they’ve got some excellent releases under their belt and I am thrilled to be among them. If anybody isn’t familiar, I’d highly recommend Lords of the North, Tyrant Blood by Ancient Flame and The Garden of Abandon by Monastery. We’re going to put the album up on streaming platforms, Bandcamp and the like as well. So far we don’t have any leads on a CD release, but we might very likely just release that ourselves in the near future. [Edit – turns out they are!]

And finally, seeing as we are streaming The Fate Of Kings And Men in its entirety today, I will leave the last thoughts about it to you. If you had to sum up the album and what it represents to you and an intended listener, what would you say?

– The album personally represents a period of centering, regrowth and perseverance. Fighting the seemingly unwinnable fight because you have to. I would encourage listeners to gather whatever they will from it. More than anything, it’s a story and I want people to enjoy that story and the music. I don’t have any moral or philosophical agenda I’m trying to push, just a story about things I’ve struggled with. I don’t expect any two people to resonate with it in the same way, or in the way that I do, but that would be an excellent outcome. My intention is not to make anybody feel a certain way, but to make them feel something at all. I think indifference is one of the worst things someone can feel so love it or hate it, I’m just grateful people gave the album some of their time. Hopefully it was enjoyable!

Sincerest thanks for your time, Artos. Congratulations on the fantastic debut album. Any final words or wisdom for us all?

– Thanks for the time, I really appreciate it. Drink lots of coffee, read fantasy books and listen to Obsequiae.

The Fate of Kings and Men releases October 23rd via Fólkvangr Records.

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Pre-order The Fate of Kings and Men on CD and digital from the Weald & Woe Bandcamp HERE, or purchase on cassette from the Fólkvangr Records webstore HERE on October 23rd.

Support WEALD & WOE:

• Official Facebook
• Official Bandcamp
• Official Instagram
• Official YouTube

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