CD

In a non-pop cultural, classic sense, the term 'shamanism' refers primarily to spiritual practices of indigenous Siberian peoples. Shamans interact with the spirit world through altered states of consciousness as protectors of their communities. On their album "Songs of the Shaman", NYTT LAND interpret traditional shamanic songs or spells of Siberia's Manchu–Tungus ethno-linguistic groups. These songs use ancient musical techniques such as throat singing and drums and they were recorded in their original language. The latter was done to preserve the power that lies in the sound and the phonetics as well as the rhythm of the texts. This collection of primordial magic in the shape of songs summoning spirits, incantations, and wards has been carefully selected and deliberately excludes spells that are aimed at causing harm. NYTT LAND came into being as a ritualistic Nordic folk band envisioned by the husband and wife duo Natalya and Anatoly Pakhalenko in the Western Siberian town Kalachinsk, on the banks of River Om and crossed by the Trans-Siberian Railway, in August 2013. Following three self-released albums, "Nytt Land" (2013), "Hávamál" (2015), and "Scopun: Songs from the Elder Edda" (2016), their label debut "Fimbulvinter" came out in 2017 and was followed by the 2018 full-length "Oðal". While NYTT LAND also continued to self-release albums, the Siberian elements in their music began to surface stronger than before on their third label full-length "Ritual". With "Songs of the Shaman", NYTT LAND take the ones willing to hear on a journey to a place in time and space where spirits rule and even gods fear to tread. Listen with caution!

One of Australia's longest-running and most respected black metal bands, Pestilential Shadows have been building a towering canon of work since 2003. Whereas many of their native land's extreme metal exports either tend toward the chaotic or too clean, the shadowy collective led by founding vocalist / guitarist Balam consistently create compelling swathes of drama and darkness, all-enveloping emotion and regal-yet-gritty grandeur. Truly, Pestilential Shadows are black metal classicism par excellence.

And while the last handful of their albums the past decade-plus have seen sizable gaps between them, Pestilential Shadows strike while the iron's hot with Wretch. Simply and substantially titled, Wretch follows from last year's Devil's Hammer and continues the band's progression / regression toward uglier, gnarlier expanses. Mind you, it's a lateral development rather than a vertical one - the "form" is still BLACK METAL, and its attendant contents are ruminations on death and the beyond - but the fact that Pestilential Shadows can subtly-to-significantly shift their sonic palette whilst conveying their characteristic melancholy and tragedy speaks to the enduring strength of their songwriting. What's more, the album's production is palpably professional, feeling effervescent and crisp even when running through those uglier, gnarlier expanses. If anything, said recording style of Wretch - mastered by Krvna mainman Krvna Vatra, who played on the aforementioned Devil's Hammer, with mixing done by Balam - gives the record a uniquely ethereal aspect, even when the band have kicked into ultraviolent overdrive. Above all, the eight songs that comprise the 49-minute Wretch prove Pestilential Shadows as masters of pacing, doling out the sublime and the profane with equally windswept aplomb. Of especial note is the solemn procession of "Where Sunlight Goes to Die," which features guest choral vocals from Dis Pater of Midnight Odyssey.

As always, totality is key, and thus has Greallach Art been brought back to provide stark & austere cover artwork for Wretch. On the strength of this album alone, Pestilential Shadows continue to assert their position as a classics-minded black metal vanguard.

Isen’s debut album delivers a powerful blend of melodic black metal, diving deep into the aggressive essence of late Norwegian second wave while weaving in melodic elements reminiscent of classic Swedish black metal, yet with a unique twist. Cutting riffs, bleak atmospheres, and organic production converge to form an album that honours the genre’s golden era, yet forges its own dark and evocative path. Each track unfolds like a puzzle piece in a haunting journey through frozen emotional landscapes, where melancholy and fury coexist in eerie harmony. A must-have for any fan of the genre

Since the unholy reunion between the two MYSTIC CIRCLE founders A. Blackwar and Beelzebub in 2021, the Germanic black metal gods of war are stronger than ever. What began anew in 2022 with the self-titled “Mystic Circle” album and was rewarded with a sensational #78 place in the German album charts, was continued the following year in “Erzdämon” and now completed in “Hexenbrand 1486”. “More serious, more respectful and more authentic” is the definition of this new MYSTIC CIRCLE epic ‘Hexenbrand 1486’ - a statement that also applies to the band's attitude. The band's tenth studio album is largely about the “Malleus Maleficarum”, the witches' hammer, which was written in Speyer in 1486. A pitch-black mix of death, black and traditional heavy metal with a horror soundtrack flair.

EP CD in deluxe Digipak with 16-page booklet.

Formed in 2003 in the southern province of Limburg, Netherlands, CARACH ANGREN have built an unshakable reputation for fusing black metal’s ferocity with the grandeur of symphonic arrangements and the drama of storytelling. Their work draws heavily from historical legends, ghost tales, and the macabre, creating immersive worlds within each release.
On ‘The Cult of Kariba’, the band return to the mythos that first defined their identity in 2008’s ‘Lammendam’, expanding it into darker, more elaborate territory. The new EP unfolds as a five-part horror tale rooted in the folklore of Schinveld’s White Lady, now entwined with the sinister figure of Kariba: a poisoner and alleged witch. Through haunting orchestration, blackened aggression, and cinematic scope, the listener witnesses an underground cult’s rituals, a brutal sacrifice, the resurrection of Kariba, and the catastrophic vengeance that follows. Each track builds on the previous, from the ominous opening “A Malevolent Force Stirs” to the apocalyptic closer “Venomous 1666”, where the witch claims the living for her grave.
Expertly produced and conceptually unified, ‘The Cult of Kariba’ is both a return to roots and a bold expansion of CARACH ANGREN’s narrative universe.

For fans of DIMMU BORGIR, KING DIAMOND, CRADLE OF FILTH.

Swedish Viking metal pioneers MÅNEGARM celebrate their 30-year career with the release of their most evocative album to date, Edsvuren, out August 29, 2025 via Napalm Records! As one of the leading bands in the genre, they once again bring their inimitable style and the blood oath of viking, black and folk metal back together for an unforgettable and diverse sonic journey. Pensive and dreamy atmospheric monsters meet songs for a proper mead binge - this mixture has brought the band a loyal international fan base and highly acclaimed appearances at prestigious festivals such as Ragnarök and Summer Breeze Open Air.

Recorded and mixed at NEHTRON STUDIOS from March 28th, 2024 to April 24th, 2024.
Mastered by Patrick W. Engel at TEMPLE OF DISHARMONY in March 2025.

Vintersorg returns with their long-awaited new album “Vattenkrafternas Spel”! Merging old and new with a captivating mix of athmospheric Metal and Folk!

Sweden’s elemental force Vintersorg returns with their new album “Vattenkrafternas Spel”! “Vattenkrafternas Spel” merging old and new with a captivating mix of atmospheric Black Metal and Folk! It doesn’t just retrace old steps... it digs deeper! This is not the “let’s drink ale in the woods” version of Folk Metal,Vintersorg deals in frostbitten grandeur and soaring melancholy.

As always, Andreas Hedlund (aka mr. Vintersorg himself) leads the charge, balancing razor-edged riffing with layered clean vocals, icy shrieks, and a knack for songwriting that’s as cinematic as it 
 ispunishing. There’s no scientific concept this time around, no tangled progressive detours, just full immersion in atmosphere, feeling, and elemental force. Call it Folk Metal, call it Black Metal, call it Vintersorg at full power!

Vintersorg’s classic second album remastered! One of the best Folk Metal ever made!

“Ödemarkens Son” (translates as “Son of the Wilderness”), the second full length from the Swedish band Vintersorg is unique Black/Folk Metal release. Generally speaking, this is not the ‘happy dancing’ Folk Metal like Korpiklaani, Finntroll or the likes, this is mournful. blackened Folk Metal, with very poetic and sorrowful lyrics, more on the side of old Ulver, but still is something very different from any released before.

On this album, Vintersorg deals with old Scandinavian tales, pagan themes and his impression of Nature. Lyrically this is the most personal work of Vintersorg where, using the aforementioned elements, he expresses his own feelings.
Musically, this is what everyting one could expect from a really amazing Folk Metal album.

The album is very melodic, using a lot of acoustic guitars, most of the time the guitars (acoustic and distorted ones) are doing different things, complementing each other perfectly, also still there is a good amount of catchiness, specially on the choruses, but not the ‘let’s drink another beer’ kind of, more majestic, epic yet woeful ones.  Also there is an unusual high amount of riffs and rhythm changes on each song, not allowing the music fall on tediousness and unnecessary repetitions.
Vintersorg sings with full emotion. His voice has an inner strength, self-confidence and epic feel that captivate the listener instantly, leaving the instrumental section sometimes on the background.

About the song themselves... there’s no filler here. Almost all songs change a lot nicely and switch smoothly from folk acoustic passages to fast black metal moments, carrying the listener through the atmosphere and preparing him to the climax moments on every song. Did we say that the songs are very epic?

Classic Folk/Black Metal goes progressive! Remastered and finally available again.

In progressive music circles, the genre of Black Metal sometimes seemed to get a treatment as if it is was plague-like. Even a lot of Metalheads themselves cannot bring themselves to develop a taste for it, although diehard fans of the genre swear it is one of the most atmospheric and emotive styles of music in existence to date.

With Vintersorg’s “Cosmic Genesis” it appears as if there is a perfect album for those who are not too much into Black/Pagan Metal (or other extreme forms) but are interested to look into it. Strong melodies and intelligent instrumentation mixed with some more primal, heavy sounding riffs make for a very wellrounded Metal album that a much wider variety of listeners should find appreciation for.

One of the biggest points of contention people seem to have with Black Metal are the high-pitched screams which dominate and help define the genre. While these are indeed present in “Cosmic Genesis”, the main form of vocal delivery rests on the deep and strong clean singing of Andreas Hedlund, at times verging on being operatic in nature. Strong melodies and some rocking guitar riffs are the order of the day for this classic Vintersorg album. A special track worth mentioning here is a great cover of the Uriah Heep track “Rainbow Demon”, which is performed in great Vintersorg style (and has a strong medievalsounding intro). The album is full of great Black/Folk Metal tracks, although the highlights would undeniably include the opener (‘Astral & Arcane,’) the title track, and the powerful ballad ‘The Enigmatic Spirit,’ which should convince anyone to check out this album after hearing it. We think the highly melodic nature of this album will help at least a few people open up to Black Metal as a whole, who are not too familiar with this style, or do not like it too extreme.

For fans of: Falkenbach, Moonsorrow, Borknagar, Finntroll, Kampfar, Einherjer.

High Roller Records, reissue, slipcase

High Roller Records, reissue, slipcase