Words by: Courtney Stark
Via Solistitium Records
Solistium Records is an independent underground label out of Germany, and they’ve sent me a stack of black metal releases that deserve more ears. Here are a few highlights that stood out – Courtney
Schattenvald – Alle Hernach (Germany)
Out 3 April, 2026
Since 1998, Schattenvald have existed with a kind of quiet stubbornness, outlasting trends and outliving waves within the German black metal underground. They’re one of Germany’s longest-standing acts still creating new material, and that matters — not as a badge of nostalgia, but as proof of continuity. There’s no sense of chasing relevance here. Alle Hernach (all after) instead turns its gaze toward something far older and far more regional: the story of the forest prophet Mühlhiasl.
Living in the Bavarian Forest in the early 19th century, Mühlhiasl’s prophecies have lingered in Northern Bavaria’s collective memory as inherited knowledge rather than mere legend. Schattenvald treats this history with a level of grounded seriousness that draws from local folklore without romanticising it into fantasy. The result feels rooted — not theatrical, not ornamental — but tied to landscape, custom, and the uneasy weight of tradition that refuses to fade quietly.
NØKK – Heartless (USA)
Out Now
Born in January 2021 from the quiet fallout of Eternal Bloodshed, NØKK forged something that feels less like a new beginning and more like a necessary continuation. Operating out of Columbus, Ohio, guitarist J. Gallagher and drummer S. Pletcher shed the skin of the Black/Death volatility of their previous endeavours to pursue something more organic and atmospheric. With R. Hames stepping in on vocals, the focus was clear from the start: write first, build the foundation properly, and let the live presence come later.
NØKK’s approach is rooted in riffs that serve as architecture instead of decoration. Their debut EP, Repel The Incursion, introduced a sound steeped in existential weight, balancing caustic edges with a bleak, forward-driving resolve. The forthcoming full-length Heartless expands that vision into a six-track descent that feels grim without theatrics, reflective without indulgence. There’s no posturing here — just seasoned musicians channelling a wide range of influence into something direct, unrelenting and unpretentious.
Blodorn – Det Finnes Ingen Troni (Norway)
February 27, 2026
Hailing from Sauda in Norway — a town better known for industry and hard winters than headlines — Blodørn have been quietly fortifying their stronghold for years. With a healthy repertoire already carved into their name, the band now stand poised to unveil their third full-length, Det Finnes Ingen Trone (There Is No Throne). They are no strangers to the live circuit either, sharpening their steel the old way — in front of bodies, not behind screens.
Playing unapologetically True Norwegian Black Metal rooted in Viking-era spirit as opposed to trend-chasing revisionism, Blodørn lean heavily into frostbitten riffing and a sense of austere grandeur. Det Finnes Ingen Trone arrives 27th of February and continues a lineage that feels more devotional to the second wave of Norwegian Black Metal than delivering a swill of nostalgia.
Those who hold close the primitive howl of Isengard, the shadowed mysticism of early Ulver, or the unvarnished severity of Darkthrone will find familiar terrain here — not imitation, but bloodline.
Nordlys – Lichterglanz Finsternis (Germany)
Out March 13, 2026
Nordlys emerged from Memmingen in 1994 after the collapse of Fjell, with Torstein and A. carrying the torch forward from the first wave of German black metal into a new century. Early demos like Følg Nordlyset (1995) and the widely revered Reisen til den høyes hall (1996) captured their formative black metal spirit, earning underground acclaim before a brief run of late-90s live shows and a series of name changes — Pest, Die Pest, Schwarze Wut — eventually returning to Nordlys (aptly translates to ‘northern lights‘ in Danish) in 2010.
Their new full-length, Lichterglanz Finsternis, reaches back to that mid-90s foundation with intent. Drawing from unfinished and unreleased material from the fervent and unpretentious first wave of German black metal, Lichterglanz Finsternis feels like an honest reconnection to their raw beginnings — icy, earnest, and unvarnished — while still carrying the weight of experience. With 2026 live dates confirmed, it marks not just a release, but a reawakening for the band that helped define an era of music driven by conviction and atmosphere.
Aldheorte – The Wild Divine (USA)
Out 06 March, 2026
Aldheorte — who take their name from the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series of fantasy novels — weave fury, grief, and mysticism deep into their second album, The Wild Divine. It’s a record that takes confident strides within the realm of orthodox American black metal, rooting itself firmly in the conviction that black metal, in its most unpretentious form, carries weight and meaning without the need for embellishment.
In the lineage of American orthodox black metal — a strain defined by ritual intensity, spiritual severity, and an almost ascetic devotion to atmosphere — The Wild Divine stands resolute. The album conjures a suffocating, solemn presence, its razor-sharp riffs and harrowing howls cutting through the gloom like a blade, exposing something visceral and unknowable beneath. Every movement feels deliberate, driven by belief rather than excess.
