A Finnish supergroup of sorts (former and ex-members of …And Oceans, Black Beast, Rapture, Scorgrain), The Mist From the Mountains released a superb debut back in 2022, that made my year-end list with its excellent take on the classic, folky second wave black metal sound, culling heavily from the likes of Borknagar, the first Ulver album, Old Man’s Child, Gehenna, Satyricon and such.

But album number 2 sees the departure of vocalist Kena Strömsholm ( ex And Oceans/Havoc Unit) and drummer Sami Järvinen, replaced by new drummer Petri Mäkipää and a new guitarist Lasse Mämmi as well as some assistance from Emmi Silvennoinen (ex Ensiferum) who has performed with the band live.

So, along with this new lineup as a seven-piece, comes an even more epic, rangy sound, that imbues a bigger, more expenasive Moonsorrow and Finsterforst sound a little, whilst still keeping their classic 90s sound, especially with an album that contains 3, ten-minute songs, a nine-minute song, and 2 eight-ish minute songs (the last album’s longest song was eight minutes).

The album’s seafaring themes add to the band’s more epic, majestic sound as the longer songs make room for more atmospheric bridges, builds, and interludes. That said, the first track, “And So Flew the Death Crow” didn’t really grab my attention, even with an enjoyable march and sway, and some wonderful keys. Though the song’s last few moments with some blast beats, sterner death metal vocals (which are used a lot) and choirs set the stage for the following special moments.

Certainly the mid-paced stomp, clean croons and Borknagar-ish chord progressions of “The Seer of Ages” and the more blistering “At the Roots of the Vile” are both really enjoyable (the latter has a cool little tribal mid-section, and maybe the first “GO!” I’ve heard in black metal), but the album’s second half is pretty special.

Indeed, the album’s second half ( so 3 songs), is where the album gets really, really good. Stand out “Among the Black Waves”, sees Silvennoinen delivering some amazing clean vocals as the song’s balladic start ebbs and flows like the tides. Then the song’s last third is a majestic, epic, melodic tour de force that might be one of the best songs of the year in the genre.

“In Longing Times” is a wondrously regal, mid-paced austere number with mostly clean vocals and a heavy mid-era Borknagar (Quintessence, Epic, Empiricism) meets Enslaved vibe. But it’s closer “Saiva” where the album truly peaks and climaxes with an expansive, soaring, epic album end cap that shows the band’s development from a mere 90s black metal ‘cover’ band, while still having that aura, but truly spreading their wings and becoming a force in modern black metal.

[Visit the band's website]

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