Release Date: 12 June 2026
Song Count: 7
Duration: 44 minutes, 44 seconds
Rating: 6.3/10
Description:
Song Count: 7
Duration: 44 minutes, 44 seconds
Rating: 6.3/10
Description:
Suppose the answer to yesterday's question was a "yes". You know what they say - when life gives you albums, make album-nade...wait, no, that's not right.
Colorado act Stormkeep is back for a second shot after the last album we visited from them back in March, and things are much dirtier and muddier this time around with The Nocturnes of Iswylm. From a tale of a wizard on an adventure to the picturing of a realm filled with nefarious dragons, queens and vampires, it is clear from the beginning notes of this new release that this is far out of the band's usual element and by far the most experimental they have ever been with the tone and sound of their music. Diving head-first into uncharted grounds, the result of their taken risks naturally resolves into seven tracks unlike anything we have heard before from them.
A much darker and gloomier ambience takes hold of the music as the metal instruments retain their melodicism and grandness that has been associated with them under the name, albeit pivoting far into a more venomous feeling direction. Motifs loop over in particular ways or tangle into themselves to showcase the confusing and scary nature of the world being built, and far less emphasis is put on the dungeon synth elements that has so far been a trademark feature, instead steering any sort of minor backing on the mixing end into the further construction of an atmosphere. The general sound here feels bolder and more under the influence of the black metal side of the balancing board, however while this fresher leaning is an unusual switch in style, it nevertheless does not sound outright unlike its creators.
A divisive move for certain, Stormkeep seem to have gambled and bet large when it comes to this album - and while the change may come as a welcome surprise to those overly nauseated by the prominent world-building and fantastical side of their discography, as someone on the opposite end, this feels far less like a standout album than Tales of Othertime due to the significant lessening of the band's biggest gimmick and - arguably - greatest strength. Experimentation is not something that should be shied away from in the slightest, and it is great to see the group test out new and inventive ways of expressing their art; this particular attempt simply lacked the musical undertoning that made their prior constructed adventures more intriguing for me. The ideas floating around here are brilliant and certain tweaks implemented here did a more than adequate job of setting the scenes, but the noise wall-like aspects could perhaps have been tuned down just a smidge as to make the album as a whole sonically stand out more from other black metal works. As it stands, far from an unqualitative experience, but perhaps not one for me to return to often.