Not even a year after releasing the solid Verses of Regicide album, Aussie musician, ‘Nightwolf’ and his prolific project Runespell is back with a fine EP. Sentinels of Time is with a 4 song, half-hour or so of 90s second wave-inspired black metal that continues the influences that range from Abigor, Satyricon, Immortal, and such and maybe now with even more of a sweeping Viking aura, akin to Bathory’s seminally Norse work.

And you’d think with such a short turnaround (unless these 4 songs were written in the Verses sessions), there would be a drop in quality or a rushed feel, but somehow, Nightwolf has managed to improve in the on the prior album as Sentinels of Time is a little better and a little more epic and memorable.

Starting with the EP’s clear centerpiece, the 11-minute “Claws of Vanagandr”, the sterner but, majestic, Viking stomp is readily apparent and it ends with an excellent climactic blast beat that’s more dynamic than anything on Verses. “Memories of Steel” is also another 11-minute or so number, and follows the prior song’s delivery with a slightly more somber but urgent gait, then another mid-song melodic blast beat, that’s far better than anything on Verses.

The shorter (a mere 8 minutes) title track delivers a more furious, frosty salvo of slicing black metal that shows nNightwolf can deliver something a little more fierce on top of his more militant marches. “A Drakkar’s Last Journey” ends the EP with Nightwolf’s penchant for needless atmospheric/acoustic numbers, but if the three previous numbers are anything to go by, we will get another album soon and it will be a real barnburner (church burner?).

[Visit the band's website]

---

Comments