Release Date April 24th, 2026
Format CD/LP
Genre Pagan Black Metal
Country Germany
Sins Of Desire started this entire journey back in 2004. By 2006, the lyrics shifted heavily toward pagan mythology, and a name change was totally overdue, bringing Asenheim into the world. Tiwaz took full control of the vocals and guitars, pushing forward solo because finding reliable guys for rehearsals was a massive pain. The self-titled debut and the "Sehnsucht" mini-album finally hit the underground in 2012. The real turning point came with the second album, "Wenn Die Nacht...". Valfor joined up to smash the drums as a session guy, stuck around permanently, and completely locked in the lineup.
Hitting the twenty-year mark, the duo drops their tenth full-length, "Elbenblut". The Tolkien universe fuels the lyrics across a staggering seventy minutes of music. Tiwaz and Valfor keep the sound entirely organic and warm. The furious tremolo picking tears through the mix, suddenly dropping into somber downtempo acoustic parts. The constant shift between furious black metal drumming and acoustic folklore sections keeps the massive runtime engaging. All eleven tracks serve the grand Tolkien vision.
Seventy minutes is a giant commitment for any extreme metal fan. Asenheim paces the tracks intelligently, giving the listener plenty of speed and aggression. The riffs slice through the speakers with a raw, freezing tone. Valfor abuses the drum kit, pushing the blast beats to absolute extremes. The slower, atmospheric segments offer a grim contrast to the blasting aggression. The natural production enhances the raw pagan assault, giving the guitars an authentic, earthly distortion. "Elbenblut" crowns their two decades of existence with a massive, ambitious collection of music. The acoustic guitars and aggressive shrieks blend flawlessly. The duo delivers genuine, freezing pagan black metal without any stupid gimmicks. The extended runtime requires patience, pulling the final rating down just a fraction, making the score a realistic reflection of the entire experience. It remains a mighty addition to their huge catalog.
Score: 7.5
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