The Germans THORONDIR are back this 2025 with a new album called “Wächter Des Waldes”, an album that adheres to that dark, atmospheric and “traditional” Black Metal of Nordic (Viking) origin that has always fascinated me. It is a band with a very polished, clean and very balanced sound. It reminds me a bit of IMMORTAL that became great in the explosion of Scandinavian Black Metal and is still one of my favorite bands. But I think THORONDIR also supports its structure somewhat on elements of BATHORY. On the other hand, I find shades of certain Celtic sounds, which, for me, makes it even more interesting. The album also evokes those scenes of the pagan traditions of Northern Europe. And I don’t know to what extent that relates a little to that “Celtic” vibe I feel in the album. Even though it is a Black Metal album, the complete atmosphere is permeated by paganism and many of its sonorities. Well, maybe it’s because all these ancient peoples from all over Northern Europe shared ancestral elements of their roots, their traditions, their rituals, their folklore for centuries. And here, THORONDIR seems to be able to unite many of those elements in a “modern” Black Metal album and put them at the service of the album. And the concept of the album is perfectly represented on the cover, evoking the mysteries of the deep forest and everything hidden within it. In essence, we are facing an album heavily inspired by original European culture, and almost certainly, going back to its own Germanic roots. It is interesting because it is not just an album that approaches Satanism as is generally the case, but is based on this entire pagan and folkloric focus, echoing the cultural richness of European peoples. Great album! More information here: www.facebook.com/thorondirofficial, www.facebook.com/trollzorn