Runespell (AUS) / Forest Mysticism (AUS) – Wandering Forlorn LP

Black Metal

A cross-generational meeting of two very old souls, Wandering Forlorn brings together two Australian hordes who’ve been following the voice of blood longer than most have been alive. RUNESPELL mainman Nightwolf has been forging steel in the glare of burning churches since 2017. In feverish succession, his three albums for IRON BONEHEAD have poignantly presented pagan black metal in an authentically old yet refreshingly new hue, and with his three equally epic tracks here, RUNESPELL shows that the fire is far from extinguished – in fact, its flames soar ever higher like spears hunting heaven. By comparison, FOREST MYSTICISM put Down Under paganism on the map nearly 15 years ago and then retreated into the shadows in 2011, honor intact. Come 2018, the Hearken EP indeed hearkened the band’s rebirth, and the three stout-yet-sumptuous tracks here continue that noble trajectory. And aside from a single-track split last year, Wandering Forlorn marks the most extended FOREST MYSTICISM recording since the no-less-considerable Hearken, a true fire of awakening.