Finnish folk metal giants Ensiferum just released a brand new single "Long Cold Winter Of Sorrow And Strife". The heroic new track comes by way of the band's stunning new studio album, Winter Storm, set for release on 18 October through Metal Blade Records.
Ensiferum has maintained a prolific release schedule since their first demo in 1997, gradually increasing in stature until eighth album Thalassic crowned their ascent in 2020. The nautical opus went on to top Finland's album chart, reaching #3 in Germany, and top ten in Switzerland, Canada, and the United States. The global COVID pandemic however ensured that the four-year wait for Winter Storm would be the longest in the band's near-thirty-year history.
"The lyrics of Winter Storm are based on part of my unpublished fantasy book. This album is more like a 'musical' than a traditional album", says Hinkka. He further elaborates on "Long Cold Winter Of Sorrow And Strife": "From hearing the first demo of this song, I instantly visualized it as a song about harsh and dark winter. The lyrics tell about a member of the Winter Storm Vigilantes who was exiled and he is barely alive as he wanders at snowy wastelands. He is saved and taken into a remote tavern where he regains his strength and has a vision of his destiny. The song takes the listener on a journey into another world by building up slowly towards a freezing cold winter storm."
In December Ensiferum will tour as a co-headliner with Swallow The Sun in Finland, and in early 2025 they will join Alestorm, Tyr, Heidevolk and Elvenking for a Paganfest Tour throughout Europe. Check for the dates at the following link. Now, listen to the "Long Cold Winter Of Sorrow And Strife"! Link
Netherlands' darkwave icons Clan Of Xymox have shared a video for their recently released single "Broken Heart", which together with "Fire" forms the group's new double AA single — their...
Symphonic metal group Deep Sun have unveiled "Worship The Warship – Live", the second cut taken from their impending live album Vollständiges Live‑Album, set to land on 24 September...
German medieval folk metal titans Feuerschwanz ignite the night with their new single “Carpe Noctem”, a powerful collaboration with the legendary In Extremo. The track merges Feuerschwanz’s...
"Gift From The Fog" is the sombre second cut from Inhabit, the ghostly second album by Italian ambient doom/dreamgaze quartet Bosco Sacro, set to emerge on 6 November under Supernatural...
"I'm sort of asking questions - where are the heroes? Where's the defiance? Where are the people who oppose this?" - Alan "Nemtheanga" Averill
"I find it really bizarre, because right after the concert, you're already on the internet. I mean, come on. It's very different from how it used to be, but it's fine." - Anja Huwe
"I don't tend to judge people, but I do judge them if they're too lazy to engage in independent thought or if they're simply careless and don't consider the consequences..." - Sven Friedrich
"We're fucking vampires, you know? The desire to stay young forever is always there. But alienation — that definitely comes from being a non‑human person." - Lee Margot
