Borne in on a wave of dramatic synths, setting the scene for a long, cold winter, Stormkeep embrace the symphonic strains of Emperor, before thrusting you straight into the bleak, razor sharp riffs of classic black metal on new album Nocturnes of Iswylm. Corpulent lyrics embracing “vampiric danse of daemons” reminds you that this is music from the darkness, and a gloriously over the top gothic element hits you right between the eyes.
So far, so over the top, and deliciously so as ‘The Taste of Immortal Blood unfolds in pure Hammer Horror/Amicus glory. Setting their stall out as they race into ‘The Black Dragons of Iswlym’ we are obviously in concept album territory, and indeed the album is a follow up to the previous. Slowing the pace to a more general heavy metal feel, it’s a slight calm before the intensity of ‘Saccharine Subjugation’. And so it continues in this rather marvellous vein.
I’m not going to sit here and tell you what the concept is. You can find that out for yourself but needless to say we are in high fantasy here. What does stand out is the accessibility of the songs. Although they lean hard towards classic black metal, some of the more lo-fi elements are absolved within a rampant production which throws in gothic choirs, razor sharp riff, and vocals you can actually make out. It’s the elements of classic heavy metal which allow the album to embrace a more dynamic and melodic approach. For those concerned about the toning down of brutality though, don’t worry, the blast beats still remain.
By fusing different elements together, Stormkeep have made themselves one of the more exciting black metal bands hailing from the US. Leaving aside the usual USBM tropes they lean towards a much more European slant and use the symphonic aspects to create a much more cinematic sound. Unafraid to leave the riffs behind at times to explore this, it makes for a rather exciting experience. They’ll certainly garner more plays from this reviewer, and further exploration of their back catalogue will be taking place.
