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Preorder items - Extreme Metal and Dark music
Austin Lunn’s journey carried Panopticon from the urban density of Louisville to the remote northern reaches of Minnesota. It is here, surrounded by a landscape both inspiring and endangered, that “Det hjemsøkte hjertet” took shape. The album follows an elder hermit in the final week of his life, interweaving childhood memories with a lament for an ecosystem transformed by modern encroachment.
Dense, atmospheric, and unmistakably cinematic, “Det hjemsøkte hjertet” (‘The Haunted Heart’) shifts from the icy aggression of earlier works into something richer and more saturated – a palette of purples and burning oranges fading into dusk. The folk instrumentation once associated with Panopticon has largely receded, giving way to tones reminiscent of Neil Young & Crazy Horse.
The metal foundation remains, but the record’s strength lies in composition rather than speed: layered arrangements, long-form dynamics, and a strong narrative undercurrent. A full orchestral presence runs throughout, with Charlie Anderson’s string performances adding both gravity and movement. Each song features a different guest vocalist – Aaron Charles (Falls Of Rauros, Rhun), Jan Evan Åsli (Vemod), and Jan 'Winterherz' Van Berlekom (Waldgeflüster) among them – introducing distinct colours without compromising cohesion.
HULDER is a dark black metal project from the United States, driven by the creative partnership of Hulder and Necreon, whose three albums to date have steadily drawn the project toward more expansive and collaborative territory. ‘Verbolgen’, released jointly by Season of Mist and 20 Buck Spin, marks a decisive turn: the first HULDER record on which Necreon steps fully into his role as co-leader rather than session contributor. Rooted in ancient nature worship, ancestral rite, and the shadows of pre-Christian tradition, ‘Verbolgen’ moves through nine tracks that trade in both the severity and the strange, wintry beauty that have always defined HULDER 's sound. The writing has grown more layered here, drawing on a wider palette of instrumentation: hurdy gurdy and additional keys from Keld bring an almost processional weight to certain passages, while Ianuaria's session flute drifts through the album like smoke across still water. Two drummers divide the record between them, Vapula and Vrolok each bringing their own character to their respective tracks, and the sum of it is a rhythm section that feels alive to the album's shifts in mood and tempo. The mix, handled by Ahti Kortelainen at Tico Tico Studio in Finland, gives the record an earthy, resonant quality that suits its themes of blood, soil, and the settling of old debts. Even the visual identity signals a new chapter: the cover art, painted by Morrigan, is her first work created for a metal band in nearly three decades, with an updated logo crafted by Jannicke Wiese Hansen. Three of the album's songs are sung in Flemish, lending ‘Verbolgen’ a peculiar, incantatory dimension that sets it apart from anything in HULDER's back catalogue. For fans of BATHORY, DISSECTION, MOONSORROW
HULDER is a dark black metal project from the United States, driven by the creative partnership of Hulder and Necreon, whose three albums to date have steadily drawn the project toward more expansive and collaborative territory. ‘Verbolgen’, released jointly by Season of Mist and 20 Buck Spin, marks a decisive turn: the first HULDER record on which Necreon steps fully into his role as co-leader rather than session contributor. Rooted in ancient nature worship, ancestral rite, and the shadows of pre-Christian tradition, ‘Verbolgen’ moves through nine tracks that trade in both the severity and the strange, wintry beauty that have always defined HULDER 's sound. The writing has grown more layered here, drawing on a wider palette of instrumentation: hurdy gurdy and additional keys from Keld bring an almost processional weight to certain passages, while Ianuaria's session flute drifts through the album like smoke across still water. Two drummers divide the record between them, Vapula and Vrolok each bringing their own character to their respective tracks, and the sum of it is a rhythm section that feels alive to the album's shifts in mood and tempo. The mix, handled by Ahti Kortelainen at Tico Tico Studio in Finland, gives the record an earthy, resonant quality that suits its themes of blood, soil, and the settling of old debts. Even the visual identity signals a new chapter: the cover art, painted by Morrigan, is her first work created for a metal band in nearly three decades, with an updated logo crafted by Jannicke Wiese Hansen. Three of the album's songs are sung in Flemish, lending ‘Verbolgen’ a peculiar, incantatory dimension that sets it apart from anything in HULDER's back catalogue. For fans of BATHORY, DISSECTION, MOONSORROW
Limited box set incl. 2CD artbook edition, gatefold LP (excl. "galaxy" metallic vinyl), bonus LP (8 tracks, 48 minutes), music cassette (excl. beige-coloured in clear/black case), 4 art prints (30x30 cm) and a poster (450 copies available)
