On April 24th internationally, Dominance of Darkness Records is proud to present Asenheim’s tenth album, Elbenblut, on CD and vinyl LP formats.
Although initially formed in 2004 under the moniker Sins of Desire, it wasn’t until 2006 when Asenheim emerged since the lyrics increasingly dealt with pagan themes and a name change was overdue. Founding vocalist / guitarist Tiwaz soon developed the band into a solo project, as rehearsals with previous members were far too rare. Still, Asenheim continued to forge their sound, and after numerous demos, both the self-titled debut album and Sehnsucht mini-album arrived in 2012. However, it was their second album, wenn die Nacht…, that proved pivotal: Valfor came onboard initially as a session drummer, but ended up staying and proved an integral creative partner to Tiwaz. At last, Asenheim was complete, and a rich catalog of pagan black metal arrived from ancient mists…
Despite such a vast catalog, never has there been a dip in quality; Asenheim are nothing if not dependable. Put another way, Tiwaz and Valfor’s vision has always been focused and firm, and beholding it has become something of a rite of passage. Which makes their tenth album, Elbenblut, all the more special: it caps the band’s 20th anniversary in dramatic, dependable fashion. The atmosphere is stirringly folkloric, which isn’t too surprising given that the album’s themes are set in the Tolkein universe. Nevertheless, Asenheim proceed to paint a poignant landscape across Elbenblut’s EPIC 70-minute runtime, running from breathless peals of windswept urgency to somber-yet-sumptuous downtempo segments, all suffused with blanching emotion and classic nightsky splendor, as always with an organic warmth that’s unique for black metal. Each of the album’s 11 tracks are as important to the totality as the last, drawing the listener deeply into Asenheim’s world – and, in effect, Tolkein’s – and guiding them through a journey that’s characteristically compelling to the very end. Not for nothing was Elbenblut five years in the making… Long may Asenheim reign for another 20 years!
