Release Date September 25th, 2026
Format LP/CD (Box)
Genre Black Metal
Origin Norway
Iskald was formed in 2005 in Sortland, Northern Norway, by Simon Larsen and Aage Krekling, with a musical direction rooted in melodic black metal and the cold atmosphere of their Arctic homeland. Their debut album, “Shades Of Misery”, appeared in 2007 and introduced a band that would gradually establish its name through releases such as “Revelations Of Reckoning Day”, “The Sun I Carried Alone”, “Nedom Og Nord” and “Innhøstinga”.
Their history includes appearances at Inferno Festival, Midgardsblot, Hove Festival and by, along with performances alongside established names in extreme metal. Now operating as a quintent, with Aage Krekling on vocals, Simon Larsen and Ben Hansen on guitars, Isak Larsen on drums and Tobias Aubert on bass, Iskald enter a new phase with Dusktone Records and their sixth full-length album.
“Curse Of The Mind” is Iskald’s first concept album, arranged in four connected chapters that follow a journey through psychological torment, isolation, fragile hope and sacrifice, using Helheim and Norse mythology as the setting for an inward struggle. The eight-track sequence includes four ritual invocations linking “The Other Realm”, “Manifestation Of Madness”, “A Burden Of Hope” and “The Sacrifice”. The preview excerpts from these tracks suggest an album shaped by cold melodic guitar work, black metal aggression and atmospheric sections, with the repeated ritual elements helping to connect its chapters.
The material was recorded at Strand Studio in Beiarn during the summer of 2025, with Hallstein Sandvin responsible for mixing and mastering, while SG7 Graphics handled the artwork. The concept gives the album a defined direction, although its success depends heavily on how the music develops across the full journey. Based on the available information, “Curse Of The Mind” presents an ambitious continuation of Iskald’s northern melodic black metal, with its final impact resting on the balance between the musical arrangements and the psychological themes at its core.
|7.8
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