When Isenordal came out of nowhere earlier this year with their stunning debut Shores Of Mourning I immediately knew that this band had something special, they were creating the same brand of emotionally powerful and broad Cascadian black metal that I had fallen in love with so many years ago but doing it in a way that didn't feel derivative of their musical ancestors and which instead raised the entire genre up around them. So when they showed up back in my inbox a few days ago with Lughnasadh MMXVII I knew that I was in for something special.
An all acoustic EP (though not without a few black metal growls) this two song masterpiece is a fascinating testament to where this band is at. With powerful orchestrations and deeply emotional vibes, clearly influenced by Ulver's classic Kveldssanger this is a record that you find yourself getting lost in. Sure it's extremely short, but both tracks are very well developed and show a broad emotional depth for the band. The mix of male and female vocals in particular is fascinating, creating layers of the sort that have rarely been heard before in the genre and are almost never executed well. It creates something very delicate and very human.
Isenordal have gone above and beyond on this EP and proven that they can do a helluva lot more than many of their peers. They have crafted a future for themselves with a potential and a vision that is borderline unmatched by any other band going right now. Sure the execution is still being polished here and there but it routinely surprises me that this band is not significantly bigger than they already are. As is, this is an extremely masterfully put together release and one I will be coming back too time and time again.
Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/isenordal.metal
it has become as important for me to read your review about the songs as it is to listen to those songs. i really love how you describe everything
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