Review by Saxy S for Stormkeep - The Nocturnes of Iswylm (2026)

The sophomore album from Denver's Stormkeep is a bit of a double-edged sword. On one hand, you can tell that Stormkeep have learned their lesson from the debut, Tales of Othertime, that they are not very good progressive songwriters. As such, the song structures found on The Nocturnes of Iswylm are more streamlined with more recognizable melodic hooks, shorter runtimes and more aggression. The downside is that much of what made Stormkeep's debut so memorable has been lost; the symphonic backgrounds and dungeon synth passages have been kneecapped in favour of more traditional melodic black metal. Because of this omission, the fundamental black metal music is now lacking in that kick to push it over-the-top. This isn't like an Emperor album where the symphonic accompaniment is actively contributing to the songs/albums progression. Stormkeep used to do this with their debut, but now they have been so muted or omitted altogether that The Nocturnes of Iswylm becomes a record that just lingers without momentum. It's a shame because these guys showed enough potential years ago to potentially be the next modern Emperor or Summoning. 

Best Songs: The Taste of Immortal Blood, The Black Dragons of Iswylm, Echoes in the Vasts of Sequestration

For Fans Of: Summoning, Caladan Brood, Vargrav