Review by Vladimir on October 5, 2024.

There have been many great and unexpected comebacks this year from all corners of the world, but the one that really caught me by surprise is the return of the Russian black metal band Old Wainds, which hadn’t released anything new for the last 10 years or so. Once I saw that the band is coming back with their fifth full-length album Stormheart with the release date of November 27th, 2024 via Darkness Shall Rise Productions, I felt as if I had seen the planets align and of course, I wasn’t going to miss this. Without further ado, let’s have a look at this grim and frostbitten monstrosity. 

Right on from the first track 'Watch The Midnight Unveil', the excitement builds up so well that you get instantly hooked into the magic of Stormheart with its master-crafted grim and cold style of black metal that Old Wainds perfected throughout the years of spreading darkness. Although the overall approach at first seems very standard and familiar for anyone who is heavily into this kind of black metal, it is actually quite hateful and misanthropic as well, with its dynamic range of riff ideas that vary from the heavily predominant use of traditional fast tremolo picking to the mid-tempo heaviness on 'Northern Starfall' to the mesmerizing beauty of 'Of Night And Ice'. There is so much solid gold to be found along the way apart from the first couple of tracks that are just the tip of the iceberg, because even though we were off to a good start, it is just the calm before the storm, that will eventually manifest itself into a roaring blizzard halfway through as it progresses track by track. What Old Wainds managed to achieve so miraculously about this album is the progression, because every song drags you deeper into the Stormheart, with the intense and dark atmosphere in their music holding up so well that you end up being completely possessed by it. It really gets more musically extreme as it goes along, especially on the sixth track 'To The Moonlight' that perhaps showcases their most extreme performance on the album, but the overall execution on here is so unbelievably sick that it’s impossible to not get immersed into its evil and cold winter spell. If you expected a grand climax to take place during the closing track 'Snow Swarm', then what you seek is what you will get, because the finale really comes down like an avalanche descending from the mountain, as it destroys all the living that stands before it. 

When it comes to the overall songwriting that Old Wainds incorporated on Stormheart, you can clearly tell that the song structures are incredibly rich with ideas, which never once lose their edge with the stylistic consistency that carries over between the songs. The flow of this album really feels like one insane journey that brings so much death and mayhem along the way, where you really don’t feel like running away from it, but instead just going more towards the top of the mountain before reaching the conclusion of this story. One thing that I must highlight about their songwriting is that no matter how many traditional black metal elements you will come across here, all the song ideas feel so fresh and deeply expressive as well, where nothing at any given moment feels tedious, repetitive, or generic. I think this is a result of keeping one massive beast under the ice for a total of 10 years, which remains well preserved and intact for ages, and once it bursts out into the world it really doesn’t disappoint. The band absolutely nailed it from the atmosphere to the moderately raw yet highly fitting sound production that does such justice to the entire album, and I think all of it will be considered some of its everlasting qualities. 

All in all, I can’t really say anything else that hasn’t already been said. Old Wainds have returned with one massive and menacing beast of an album that is Stormheart, which turned out to be an incredible journey worth experiencing by every means. Do not miss out on this one, because this is by far one of the best black metal albums of this year, which deserves all the love and support, and I believe there will be many more diehard fans worldwide that will praise its might and magic while spreading the word of Old Wainds triumphant return after 10 years. 

Rating: 9.5 out of 10