As the wind howls and rain falls outside my bedroom window, what better weather to review the new Stormkeep album in? For those who might’ve forgotten, Stormkeep is helmed by Otheyn Vermithrax, better known as Isaac Faulk: Drummer for prog-death voyagers, Blood Incantation. In the half decade since we last heard from Stormkeep (excluding a dungeon synth EP that dropped in 2023), BI has slowly but surely been rising in profile amongst both metalheads and insufferable hipsters who cherry-pick token metal acts to expand their listening portfolio (Because there’s more to life than pretending to enjoy faceless stoner/doom). This ascension has led to multiple sold out, high profile headline shows here in Chicago, as well as a support slot for Emperor at the famed Aragon Ballroom this past April, which is where I last saw them. And while I still “don’t get” this band, I certainly applaud their continuing success.
On paper, I shouldn’t “get” Stormkeep either. Here’s a band blatantly drawing from the well of an era and style of black metal that I’m usually pickier with than a child with a plateful of vegetables in front of them. And yet this stunningly unadulterated love letter to mid ’90s melodic black metal found itself all the way at #8 on our 2021 year end list. Why? There’ve been no shortage of bands who’ve tried their hand at the Dissection and Sacramentum sound of yesteryear. What made Stormkeep stand out? It wasn’t that they intentionally sounded like either band, but rather the fact that the songcraft displayed on their debut, Tales of Othertime, was on par with these aforementioned giants, or any other prolific act to come off the heels of the initial Norwegian BM explosion and subsequent implosion (third wave BM?).
On their long-awaited follow up, The Nocturnes of Iswylm, Stormkeep continue to expand their sound even further, all the while staying true to the foundations established on their debut. Perhaps the biggest shift on this album is that from a melodic black metal sound to a symphonic black metal approach. Yes, there were symphonic tinges present on Tales (i.e. “The Seer”), but for this one, Stormkeep really doubles down on the Emperor influence. Look no further than songs like “The Taste of Immortal Blood”, “Saccharine Subjugation”, and especially “Imperious Sanguine Eroticism”, on which the band employs a “romantic” black metal approach reminiscent of prime Cradle of Filth, complete with gothic-flavored clean vocals and a dense layer of symphonic rapture.
Admittedly, that last song isn’t my favorite, but it also shockingly isn’t as bad as one would believe (Sorry goth moms and ’90s black metal dorks: Even “good” CoF sucked). Considering my continued infatuation with the debut, I find myself gravitating towards cuts such as “Echoes in the Vast Sequestration” and “Carnal Tapestries of Nailtorn Flesh”, on which the band really hones in on those ripping melodic black metal tropes, from soaring guitars to dramatic aural bombast. The latter, of course, is aided by these aforementioned symphonic flashes, which leaves me shaking my head in sheer disbelief: Am I REALLY out here enjoying a symphonic BM album that ISN’T by Emperor?! Yes, I am.
Although Nocturnes doesn’t leave me as gobsmacked as its predecessor upon first impression, it’s still nothing to scoff at. The musicianship is top notch, the production is true to the era it’s paying homage too, and the songs themselves are a force to be reckoned with. If every black metal band who clogged my inbox had a fraction of the talent that these guys have, perhaps I wouldn’t be so hard on the genre. Then again, I guess that’s what makes Stormkeep all the more special. Here’s to cranking this slab of symphonic melodic, er, romantic black metal until the next one drops in 2031!
8 out of 10
Label: Vesperian
Genre: Symphonic Black Metal
For fans of: Emperor, Sacramentum, Arcturus
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