STORMKEEP (USA) - The Nocturnes Of Iswylm (sealed CD copy) (2026) Released by Vesperian Records in a standard jewel case w/clear tray & 16-panel foldout insert / poster w/lyrics, credits & artwork.
 
Prepare to cross the threshold once more into the shadow-drenched realms of Elda and Iswylm. Following up their monumental 2021 debut Tales of Othertime, Colorado’s Symphonic Black Metal horde STORMKEEP return with their most ambitious, sinister, and cinematic chapter yet: "The Nocturnes Of Iswylm."
 
Featuring members hailing from Colorado underground legends Wayfarer and Blood Incantation, STORMKEEP channel the majestic spirit of classic '90s Scandinavian Black Metal—think peak-era Emperor, Dissection, and Dimmu Borgir—and weave it with rich dungeon-synth atmospherics and sweeping dark fantasy lore.
 
Where their debut galloped across open battlefields, "The Nocturnes of Iswylm" plunges into deeper, darker psychological waters.
 
Clocking in over seven sprawling tracks, the album balances ferocious, razor-sharp tremolo riffs and kinetic drum assaults with haunting piano interludes, soaring clean vocal passages, and grandiose orchestral synthesizers. From the sinister grandeur of opening track "The Taste Of Immortal Blood" to the blistering, dragon-slaying speed of "The Black Dragons Of Iswylm," this record is an uncompromising masterclass in melodic, fantasy-driven extremity.
 
Complete with striking dark fantasy cover artwork by legendary artist Simon Bisley, "The Nocturnes of Iswylm" isn't just an album—it’s an immersive, high-art sonic relic. An absolute essential for collectors of majestic and Atmospheric Black Metal.  -- Vesperian – DUSK002-2