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Collector's Edition in Digipack with 12-page fold-out booklet with the lyrics on one side and a map of the territory on the other, limited to 500 copies.

While “Chapter One” told about a group of adventurers and their travel to distant Valdura, “Chapter Two” focuses on the arrival of Aryun and his companions in that mythical realm. Unexpectedly drawn into a long simmering conflict between the corrupt government and the resistance in Valdura’s capital Tordal, they meet the female resistance leader Tabe who informs them of the plight they just encountered.

For songwriter Erech the six songs on “Chapter Two” are the logical continuation of the music on the debut, with perhaps a bit less overall focus on straightforward melodic Black Metal and instead playing with influences from Power Metal and atmospheric Black Metal sprinkled with classic Folk songwriting. To that end, and more often than on the debut, the throaty, intoxicating voice of Circe takes center stage besides the raspy Black Metal vocals of Erech, and there she truly shines.

Limited editions  195 copies on blue/white galaxy vinyl, incl. gatefold cover and download.  

Bloodbark is a project of unknown origin made by an unknown number of people embracing that nature is the creator, storyteller and the artist behind it all. This idea sprouted with the 2018’s album Bonebranches, where no human presence tarnished the art. The human aspect remained hidden, covered by snow while nature and emotion sang across beautiful landscapes and whispered verses with melodies to every listener, so it welcomed them into its utterly cold embrace of winter to lull into a cozy and familiar slumber.

In the same vein Sacred Sound of Solitude banishes all humanity and captures the snow, spirits and creatures in a world that was born anew. And there, little stories form like snowflakes within forests and mountains to bring out majestic melodies intertwined with harsh winds and thundering avalanches. It dwells into emotional journeys of spirits, battles of elements and disintegration of living beings into eternal nature. While Bloodbark started as a perfect representation of the Majestic in Atmospheric Black Metal, it now evolved into a crisp, cold and yet more complex distinction of the Majestic. However, it does not stray too far from Atmospheric Black Metal but deepens its roots. All of this is accompanied by stunning photography of nature in winter and art that is not outsourced.

highly anticipated second album in CD format

JEWELCASE.

JEWELCASE.

An aptly titled record no matter the language, Naturmystik brings together two modern stalwarts of mystical black metal. HÄXANU - whose acclaimed second album, Totenpass, was released last year by AMOR FATI - is the duo of multi-instrumentalist Alex Poole (Chaos Moon, Krieg, Skáphe, Ringarė, etc) and vocalist/lyricist L.C. of Lichmagick. Much as that album had equal footing in Nordic snow and Hellenic melody, so, too, do their four exclusive songs here. Stargazing as ever but perhaps bringing back some of the violent hysteria of their early work, HÄXANU hammer their point home with a triumphant fury. Sweden's GREVE, of course, is yet another work of ever-restless Ancient Records linchpin Swartadauþuz (BEKËTH NEXËHMÜ, GNIPAHÅLAN. Trolldom, Musmahhu, Azelisassath, Digerdöden, Mystik, Summum, Daudadagr, Daudadagr). To date, GREVE have released two equally massive full-lengths through PURITY THROUGH FIRE, 2019's Nordarikets Strid and 2022's Föllo af Svavel, Lifvets Dimridå. Naturmystik features the first music from the trio since, and their four songs here carry that same torch: shimmering 1996-vintage obsidian, emitting that racing-yet-floating sensation which made GREVE's two albums such modern classics. Together on Naturmystik, both HÄXANU and GREVE once again prove that black metal classicism can be a boundless wellspring of brilliance.

Highly anticipated sixth album in CD format

Finnish black metal.