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Album Review – Iskald / Curse of the Mind (2026)

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These Melodic Black Metal veterans are back with their sixth studio opus, a conceptual journey exploring themes of psychological torment, inner conflict, fragile hope and ultimate sacrifice.

Formed in 2005 in Sortland, Northern Norway by vocalist Aage Krekling and guitarist Simon Larsen, but currently located in Bodø, Norway, with the ambition of creating a distinctive form of Melodic Black Metal deeply connected to the atmosphere of the Arctic north, the mighty horde known as Iskald (which translates to “ice cold” in English) is finally back with their sixth studio album (and first concept work), titled Curse of the Mind, following up on their 2018 opus Innhøstinga. Built as a conceptual journey, the new album by the aforementioned Aage Krekling and Simon Larsen alongside guitarist Ben Hansen, basisst Tobias Aubert, and drummer Isak Larsen unfolds through four interconnected chapters linked by ritualistic invocations, exploring themes of psychological torment, inner conflict, fragile hope and ultimate sacrifice. Framed within a stark, Norse-inspired vision of Helheim, the story is mythological in setting but deeply psychological at its core. Helheim is not merely a place, it is the shape taken by inner darkness. The true battlefield is the mind itself.

After the melancholic, dark intro Curse of the Mind – Invocation I, we face the band’s first slab of ferocity titled The Other Realm, or “The Descent,” a representation of vast emptiness, fog and isolation, with Aage vociferating like a demonic entity while Tobias and Isak generate an intricate, reverberating background that reeks of Black Metal. Then we have another invocation titled Curse of the Mind – Invocation II, where the guitars by Simon and Ben transpire malignancy, followed by Manifestation of Madness, or “The Prison,” showcasing doubt, fragmentation and psychological collapse, offering almost seven minutes of scorching Melodic Black Metal led by Isak’s bludgeoning drums

The second act of the album kicks off with the minimalist yet penetrating Curse of the Mind – Invocation III,  where the sound of the piano will hypnotize us all before the band comes ripping with one of the most complex songs of the album, titled A Burden of Hope, or “The Fragile Light,” a display of strength found through accepting the darkness within, where their Doom Metal vein arises, darkening the skies to the devilish gnarls by Aage. And lastly, the short and ethereal invocation titled Curse of the Mind – Final Invocation sets the stage for the album’s climatic conclusion with The Sacrifice, or “The Ritual,” where before the throne of Hela suffering becomes meaningful, a multi-layered aria of Black Metal magic spearheaded by the scathing riffs by Simon and Ben, sounding infernal yet delicate until the very end.

Marking the beginning of a new chapter for the band, Curse of the Mind” was recorded at Strand Studio, mixed and mastered by Hallstein Sandvin, and features a stylish artwork by SG7 Graphics. For over two decades, Iskald have stood among the leading names in Norwegian Melodic Black Metal, expanding their trademark northern sound with its most ambitious and immersive work to date in Curse of the Mind, and if you want to know more about the band you can find them on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their music on Spotify, and purchase a copy of the album from Dusktone’s BandCamp or webstore. In other words, the new Melodic Black Metal journey by Iskald is about to begin, and you’re more than invited to join those amazing musicians in their ritualistic and mythological adventure.

Best moments of the album: The Other Realm, Manifestation of Madness and The Sacrifice.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2026 Dusktone

Track listing
1. Curse of the Mind – Invocation I 4:37
2. The Other Realm 6:53
3. Curse of the Mind – Invocation II 3:01
4. Manifestation of Madness 6:56
5. Curse of the Mind – Invocation III 2:06
6. A Burden of Hope 8:11
7. Curse of the Mind – Final Invocation 0:54
8. The Sacrifice 10:20

Band members
Aage Krekling – vocals
Simon Larsen – guitars
Ben Hansen – guitars
Tobias Aubert – bass
Isak Larsen – drums

Album Review – Helvitnir / Wolves of the Underworld (2025)

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Prepare to be engulfed by the icy fury of this Norwegian Black Metal horde as their debut album storms into the metal scene.

Forged in the icy depths of Norway back in 2023, the ruthless Black Metal horde known as Helvitnir is unleashing upon humanity their highly anticipated debut album, titled Wolves of the Underworld. Paying homage to the cold, primal energy of their predecessors while pushing boundaries, introducing dynamic shifts, melodic textures, and a powerful sense of narrative, the band currently formed of Hellcommander Vargblod on vocals and bass, Ihizahg and Bjarkan on the guitars, and Hellhammer on drums is on absolute fire throughout their entire debut offering, a brutal and evocative work that promises to leave an indelible mark on the Black Metal landscape that will surely position the band as torchbearers of the genre’s next chapter.

The opening aria Throes Of Transformation sounds as infernal as Norwegian Black Metal can be, with Hellhammer already showing his dexterity and passion for the dark art behind his drums, and the winds of violent and evil Black Metal keep howling in Black Flame Triad, with Ihizahg and Bjarkan firing razor-edged riffs for our total delight. Helvitnir, the song that carries the name of the band, couldn’t have sounded more infernal, with Hellcommander Vargblod leading his horde with his demonic roars and thunderous bass; whereas Hellhammer keeps pounding his drums in the name of darkness in Void Of Emptiness, another classic Black Metal extravaganza where Hellcommander Vargblod vociferates like a true demon until the very last second.

There’s no sign of the band slowing down or sounding less caustic or demonic, offering our putrid ears Imagery Of Deceit, with Hellcommander Vargblod gnarling rabidly during the song’s unrelenting four minutes, followed by Odinsbane, the weirdest of all songs, where the Doom Metal elements don’t work as expected, in special its background keys. Then back to a much stronger, more visceral sonority we have Dread Biter, a song that reeks of Norwegian Black Metal thanks to the scorching, piercing guitar lines by Ihizahg and Bjarkan, and this unstoppable Norwegian horde will crush us all once again with Helheim’s Throne, a demolishing metal hymn showcasing the unrelenting drumming by Hellhammer. Lastly, of course the album ends like it started, with a fulminating onrush of Black Metal titled Draugr, spearheaded by the scorching riffs by Ihizahg and Bjarkan, before all fades into the void.

Prepare to be engulfed by the icy fury of Helvitnir as Wolves of the Underworld storms into the metal scene, a sonic journey through bitterly cold wastelands and infernal depths, where every track resonates with a visceral, unrelenting energy. Hence, you can join this amazing Norwegian horde on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their sulfurous music on YouTube and on Spotify, and of course grab a copy of the fiery Wolves of the Underworld from Dusktone’s BandCamp or webstore, or simply by clicking HERE. In the end, Helvitnir are definitely a force to be reckoned in the world of extreme music, and Wolves of the Underworld masterfully depicts what they’re capable of in the foreseeable future.

Best moments of the album: Throes Of Transformation, Helvitnir and Dread Biter.

Worst moments of the album: Odinsbane.

Released in 2025 Dusktone

Track listing
1. Throes Of Transformation 5:01
2. Black Flame Triad 4:46
3. Helvitnir 4:36
4. Void Of Emptiness 5:18
5. Imagery Of Deceit 3:50
6. Odinsbane 4:59
7. Dread Biter 5:17
8. Helheim’s Throne 4:24
9. Draugr 4:12

Band members
Hellcommander Vargblod – vocals, bass
Ihizahg – guitars
Bjarkan – guitars
Hellhammer – drums

Album Review – Altar Ov Asteria / Éna (2024)

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An uncanny duo aims at balancing visceral energy with enveloping atmosphere and dark melody, creating a sound both rooted in Black Metal tradition and expansive new avantgarde sounds in their debut album.

Established by two girls from the Dresden area, Satyra and Melpomene, both heavily involved in the rich local underground, German Black Metal duo Altar Ov Asteria aims at balancing visceral energy with enveloping atmosphere and dark melody, creating a sound both rooted in Black Metal tradition and expansive new avantgarde sounds, which is exactly what you’ll get in their debut opus Éna. Displaying a classic artwork by Last Light Designs, Éna (which most probably means a girl’s name of Irish origin with multiple meanings, including “ardent,” “little fire,” “kernel,” “grain,” and “peace”) offers a bold and austere atmosphere thoroughly crafted by the mysterious duo, already carving their names in the German Black Metal scene and leaving us eager for more of their visceral creations.

Their infernal riffs come in full force in the opening tune Arroganz, showcasing their aggression and passion for the extreme, or in other words, it’s a dark and venomous Black Metal chant that will surely send shivers down your spine as those girls show no mercy for our damned souls. Then a cryptic, psychological excerpt kicks off Fegefeuer, again bringing forward an amalgamation of Black Metal and atmospheric and doom elements, with their harsh, vile gnarls piercing our minds and hearts flawlessly. The duo managed to sound even more infuriated and harsh in Hesperus, with their caustic riffs and blast beats generating a massive wall of sounds in the name of Black Metal; followed by Kataklysm, the first single of the album, sounding and feeling absolutely brutal, grim and infernal, with Satyra and Melpomene blasting their sonic weapons with tons of anger and hatred, also offering elements of Melodic Black Metal in their sound to make things even more electrifying, flowing into the austere eight-minute closing tune Pilatus, where they go full Black Metal, bringing to our avid ears an overdose of crushing blast beats, scorching riffs and demonic roars and gnarls. I have no idea which one of the two girls plays drums in the album, but she sounds insanely heavy and precise until the very last second, not to mention the beauty of the song’s creepy, atmospheric passage.

“Imagine you would wake up in a world full of mysteries and realities woven into each other, like in a story book of the past centuries of Dante Alighieri or Homer. Two black-robed mysteries in gold-snake masks wake you up from the heavy dorm with blackened sirens crushing your ears, mesmerizing your mind to sense the allegories of humankind existence. You’ve got an invitation to a storybook of hellish Sodom, chapter by chapter illustrating thy and foreign dystopia”. These cryptic words are spot-on in depicting the music found in Éna, and you can put your hands on such a flammable album by purchasing it from the band’s own BandCamp, or from Dusktone’s BandCamp or webstore. You can also check what the duo is up to on Facebook and Instagram, and stream their music on Spotify, joining this mysterious, devilish duo in their quest for the underground to the sound of their caustic debut opus, an album that will certainly drag you to the underworld with them.

Best moments of the album: Fegefeuer and Pilatus.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2024 Dusktone

Track listing
1. Arroganz 7:14
2. Fegefeuer 7:18
3. Hesperus 5:55
4. Kataklysm 5:10
5. Pilatus 8:00

Band members
Satyra – unknown
Melpomene – unknown

Guest musician
Athâerus – vocals on “Pilatus”