Tag Archives: thuringia

Album Review – Hangatyr / Sumpf der Fäule (2025)

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Enter the swamp of rot found in the fourth studio opus by this devilish Heathen and Nordic Black Metal horde hailing from Germany.

In Norse mythology, Hangatyr was one of many names for Odin, translated as the “Hanged God”, a reference to his ordeal upon the World Tree. In extreme music, Hangatyr are a Heathen/Nordic Black Metal horde hailing from Bad Sulza, a town in the Weimarer Land district, in Thuringia, Germany, inspired by German icons of the genre with nuances from 90’s Norwegian Black Metal. Now in 2025 the band currently formed of Silvio on vocals, Ali and Basti on the guitars, and Falk on bass is ready to unleash upon humanity their fourth opus, entitled Sumpf der Fäule, or “swamp of rot” from German, the follow-up to their 2020 album Kalt. Produced by Alexander Dietz (Heaven Shall Burn) at Chemical Burn Studios, and showcasing a grim artwork by Ute Ruhmann, Sumpf der Fäule sees the quartet conjure up an unmistakably unique atmosphere throughout the entire album, positioning it as a must-listen for admirers of the black arts.

After a Stygian intro the music explodes into grandiose Black Metal in Sumpf der Fäule, where you can sense their Pagan and Nordic Black Metal influences in the riffage by Ali and Basti; whereas Eine Wahrheit (“one truth”) already starts in full force to its crisp, scorching riffs and blast beats, while Silvio roars and gnarls nonstop in the name of extreme music, exhaling 90’s Black Metal for our vulgar delectation. Leichenmahl (“funeral feast”) is a bit slower yet still venomous and harsh, darkening the skies to the devilish screams by Silvio while all instruments sound as heavy and grim as possible, followed by Es webe Nacht (“let the night weave”), another song that transpires Heathen Black Metal, inspiring us to raise our horns to the band spearheaded by the striking guitars by Ali and Basti. Then leaning towards classic Norwegian Black Metal we have Fatales Gedeih (“fatal prosperity”), showcasing how versatile the band can be inside the broader genre, with Falk making the earth tremble with his bass; and ending the album the quartet offers another bold and dense Black Metal aria titled Dämmerung (“twilight”), spreading absolute darkness until all fades into a melancholic grand finale.

Overflowing heaviness and sheer intensity in all of its six biting songs with abysmal atmospheres, Sumpf der Fäule is highly recommended for fans of early Enslaved, Helheim, and Helrunar, among several other Heathen and Nordic Black Metal hordes out there, and if you want to get in touch with those talented and hardworking Teutonic black metallers you can find them on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their music on Spotify (only the album Kalt at the moment, by the way) or on BandCamp (all of their already released albums), and soon grab your copy of their newborn spawn from the same BandCamp. In other words, it’s time to enter the swamp of rot offered by Hangatyr in their new album, letting their festering, devilish sounds penetrate deep inside your putrid skin in the name of our beloved Black Metal.

Best moments of the album: Sumpf der Fäule and Es webe Nacht.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Independent

Track listing
1. Sumpf der Fäule 7:46
2. Eine Wahrheit 5:35
3. Leichenmahl 6:51
4. Es webe Nacht 6:29
5. Fatales Gedeih 6:38
6. Dämmerung 10:00

Band members
Silvio – vocals
Ali – guitar
Basti – guitar
Falk – bass

Album Review – Heaven Shall Burn / Heimat (2025)

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One of the biggest names in the history of Melodic Death Metal and Metalcore strikes again with their tenth opus, displaying a deep connection to their homeland and their German roots.

Heimat, which is German for “home”, “homeland, or “native land”, is a term that merely refers to a relationship between people and spaces but has nevertheless always been highly emotionally charged. That’s the title of the new offering by German Melodic Death Metal/Metalcore outfit Heaven Shall Burn, following up on their critically acclaimed 2020 album Of Truth And Sacrifice. Produced at The Dude Ranch, mixed and mastered by Tue Madsen at Antfarm Studio, and showcasing a stunning artwork by world renowned artist Eliran Kantor, the new album by Marcus Bischoff on vocals, Maik Weichert and Alexander Dietz on the guitars, Eric Bischoff on bass, and Christian Bass on drums will certainly please both old and new fans of the band, presenting their signature sound without sounding repetitive or outdated, always looking forward regarding their creativity, heaviness and energy.

The intro Ad Arma couldn’t have been more atmospheric and sinister, setting the stage for the band to crush us all with War Is the Father of All, with Marcus roaring rabidly amidst an imposing, symphonic-infused Metalcore sound boosted by Christian’s pounding drums, or in other words, it’s an impressive and multi-layered start to the album. My Revocation of Compliance is another hammering tune showcasing dark lyrics growled by Marcus (“Welcome to an age of disregard / So abhorrent, all this torture, all this suffering / Yes, you all are the inciters / Willful and deliberately, without the slightest qualm”), whereas Maik and Alexander sound venomous with their sharp riffs in Confounder, resulting in a great option for some sick slamming inside the pit. Empowerment offers another round of their caustic and piercing words (“This is a clarion call, this is my call! / Betrayed and forsaken. A generation in rebellion. They all abide the storm. / Left with no option but revolt, up in arms and never resting, now tearing down your web of lies”), followed by A Whisper from Above, an upbeat tune presenting their trademark aggression, with Christian stealing the show with his beats and fills.

Then after the short and sweet interlude Imminence, the band comes ripping once again with Those Left Behind, speeding up their pace while also firing those very melodious riffs we enjoy so much in first-class Melodic Death Metal and Metalcore. Their destructive mode goes on in full force in Ten Days in May, where Maik and Alexander, supported by the rumbling bass by Eric, will pierce your minds and souls with their scorching riffs and solos; followed by their rendition of Numbered Days, by Killswitch Engage (check out the original version from their 2002 album Alive or Just Breathing), featuring guest vocals by Jesse Leach, the current vocalist of Killswitch Engage themselves, and Heaven Shall Burn deliver a just as violent version of the song for our total delight. Marcus doesn’t get tired of screaming like a beast in Dora, while his bandmates provide him with their classic fusion of violence and harmony; and A Silent Guard is another bludgeoning version of their hybrid of Melodic Death Metal and Metalcore where Christian showcases a visceral performance on drums, before the album ends with the outro Inter Arma, the aftermath of the album albeit too long as already mentioned.

“Heimat is not meant as the narrow-minded end point in the sense it has been used by agitators and populists, but the starting point for observations and perspectives. The album is about a much wider sense of the term ‘Heimat’: the homelands for many different people and also about the spiritual home, something that shapes and determines our thoughts and actions,” commented guitarist Maik Weichert, and you can get in touch with the band to dive even deeper into the world of Heimat via Facebook and Instagram. Don’t forget to also subscribe to their YouTube channel and visit them on Spotify for more of their music, and of course to grab a copy of their incendiary new album via BandCamp or their own webstore, or simply by clicking HERE. Some of the physical versions of the album include more of the amazing art by Eliran Kantor, by the way, and are definitely worth every penny. With Heimat, Heaven Shall Burn prove once again why they remain relevant in the already saturated Melodic Death Metal and Metalcore scene worldwide, always displaying their connection to their homeland and their German roots, while also speaking the universal language of heavy music that will forever reverberate across the four corners of the earth.

Best moments of the album: War Is the Father of All, A Whisper from Above and Ten Days in May.

Worst moments of the album: Inter Arma.

Released in 2025 Century Media Records

Track listing
1. Ad Arma 1:54
2. War Is the Father of All 6:42
3. My Revocation of Compliance 3:32
4. Confounder 4:19
5. Empowerment 4:45
6. A Whisper from Above 4:27
7. Imminence 1:04
8. Those Left Behind 3:24
9. Ten Days in May 4:36
10. Numbered Days (Killswitch Engage cover) 3:38
11. Dora 4:10
12. A Silent Guard 5:01
13. Inter Arma 3:24

Band members
Marcus Bischoff – vocals
Maik Weichert – guitars
Alexander Dietz – guitars
Eric Bischoff – bass
Christian Bass – drums

Guest musician
Jesse Leach – vocals on “Numbered Days”
Wilhelm Keitel, Mondëna Quartet & Ukrainian Sophia Chamber Choir – choir & orchestrations

Album Review – Isgalder / To The Hall Of The Stars EP (2018)

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Enjoy the story about the journey of a man, wandering old forgotten paths in search of nature and solitude, told by a newcomer German Epic and Pagan Black Metal hailing from the Thuringian Forest.

Founded in 2017 by vocalist and guitarist Grimwald (Dauþuz, Wintarnaht) and drummer, bassist and keyboardist Moppel to hail earth and iron, German horde Isgalder has just emerged from the Thuringian Forest with a splendid piece of Epic and Pagan Black Metal influenced by early Falkenbach and Bathory, titled To The Hall Of The Stars, their debut EP that tells a little story about the journey of a man (the journey to the hall of the stars), wandering old forgotten paths in search of nature and solitude. Comprised of three original songs taken from the band’s forthcoming album and alternate versions of those same songs, the EP will provide you a very good taste of what Isgalder, which by the way is Old-High-German/Germanic and means “cold incantation” or “icy chant”, are capable of. Furthermore, although Grimwald and Moppel played all instruments and vocal parts in the EP, Isgalder are now comprised of the aforementioned dynamic duo plus VRCHTR on rhythm guitar and Aussen Geist on bass, meaning we can definitely (and hopefully) expect to witness the extreme music by Isgalder be materialized in the form of one or more live concerts in the near future.

The keys by Moppel kick off the epic and imposing tune The Ravendale, bringing an interesting “duel” of clean vocals and harsh gnarls, also presenting piercing guitar lines and lyrics that exhale Folk and Pagan Metal (“On farthest shores, there rest my fate / Far from mankind, the morbid, the pale / Native is that soil; silent and primordial / Astute raven summon me, to the hidden vail / The Ravendale / Forgotten and forsaken / The Ravedale / In solitude awaken”), all topped off by a climatic finale. Elder Wisdom, a very detailed and melodic creation by the duo, already starts in full force, bringing elements from Atmospheric Black Metal to their core Pagan and Black Metal, with Grimwald growling and gnarling nonstop while Moppel delivers brutality through his beats and some sort of “peace” through his keys, all at once; and as atmospheric and dense as both previous songs, Soaring Mountains showcases an old school Black Metal base solidified by  the band’s blast beats and scorching riffs, but with a strong Pagan Metal vein present in Grimwald’s growls and Moppel’s keys. Moreover, you’ll certainly feel compelled to sing its lyrics along with Isgalder (“Great soaring Mountains / Grey stone mystic monument / Arise against the sky / Wilderness defend”).

As already mentioned, side B of To The Hall Of The Stars contains an alternative version of the EP, without keyboards, varied vocals and a different mix. For instance, The Ravendale sounds rawer and more piercing, closer to traditional Black Metal, while Elder Wisdom is even more devastating and epic and Soaring Mountains goes straight-to-the-point as well, displaying an enhanced Black Metal vibe and feeling slightly less Pagan Metal. You can compare the regular and alternate versions of each song by listening to the full EP on YouTube, and don’t forget to follow Isgalder on Facebook and on YouTube. In a nutshell, To The Hall Of The Stars (on sale at the band’s own BandCamp, at the Hellthrasher Productions’ BandCamp, at the Naturmacht Productions’ BandCamp and at the Narbentage Produktionen’s BandCamp, as well as at Discogs in CD or cassette version) is a fantastic “appetizer” to what we can expect from Isgalder when they release their first full-length opus, and as soon as that happens we will be able to happily and willingly succumb to their cold incantations.

Best moments of the album: Elder Wisdom (both regular and alternate versions).

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2018 Hellthrasher Productions

Track listing
1. The Ravendale 7:06
2. Elder Wisdom 7:54
3. Soaring Mountains 5:33
4. The Ravendale (alternate version) 6:51
5. Elder Wisdom (alternate version) 7:44
6. Soaring Mountains (alternate version) 5:27

Band members
Grimwald – vocals, guitars
Moppel – bass, keyboards, drums