Wyrdstæf opens up its world to us.
Inspired by both Black Metal and Ambient music, the band signed to Apocalyptic Witchcraft and consisting of Urzhan (vocals), Shaman (guitar), Baksu (bass), Malang (drums), and Revenant (guitar/electronics) unveils its new album, Primordial Bloodlines, in 2026.
The album opens with White Spring’s campfire, quickly followed by pounding percussion and then powerful, commanding vocals complemented by guttural chants that swiftly create a heavy atmosphere that develops and intensifies very naturally until it reaches a point of saturation. Drums, bass, and guitar provide an imposing and dissonant rhythm section that leads into Great Migrations, a track that much more quickly embraces its black metal roots, using harmonics to lend them an oppressive edge even before adding the massive growls that perfectly round out the mix. It’s easy to get swept up in the track before the whispers snap us out of our torpor for Hyperborean, making the introduction unsettling and anxiety-inducing before gradually letting it ignite, embracing the icy ferocity with impressive ease. The band effortlessly engulfs us in its waves of darkness before finally allowing us to move on to Parhelion, which begins with long, ritualistic chants that are quite primitive and almost noise-like at times, but the mysterious tones return around the middle of the track, first through vocals, then finally through a hazy guitar before transitioning to the title track, Primordial Bloodlines, whose melancholic and intoxicating melodies lead to a Shoegaze-infused passage haunted by a few clean vocals, followed by more gripping ones that accompany the intensity of the riffs tinged with that same tranquility amid the flames that will consume the track until its very last moments.
While it’s difficult to truly pin down Wyrdstæf among its various influences, there’s no doubt that Primordial Bloodlines leaves a lasting impression on the listener. Whether you’re a fan of ethereal paganism or heart-wrenching melancholy, you’ll love this album.
85/100
