STORMKEEP - Video zu "THE BLACK DRAGONS OF ISWYLM"
Today, Denver-based symphonic black metal quartet STORMKEEP premiere the music video for "The Black Dragons Of Iswylm," the centerpiece single from their highly anticipated sophomore album The Nocturnes Of Iswylm, out this Friday, June 12 via Vesperian.
Watch "The Black Dragons Of Iswylm" at 18:00 CEST today here: https://youtu.be/y4Pntm7CLGg
A Visual Statement Unlike Anything STORMKEEP Have Done Before
The video marks a watershed moment for the band — not just sonically, but as a visual entity. Directed by Michael Ragen, the award-winning filmmaker and cinematographer behind one of heavy music's most celebrated recent visual achievements — the stunning 20-minute short film The Stargate for Blood Incantation, for which Ragen served as director, cinematographer, and editor — and known for his work on Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities: The Viewing — the clip for "The Black Dragons Of Iswylm" is nothing short of breathtaking.
Where STORMKEEP have long been recognized for the grandeur of their music, a compelling visual counterpart has been largely absent from their body of work — until now. Ragen brings to the project the same cinematic ambition and meticulous craft that made his collaboration with Blood Incantation a landmark in metal filmmaking: an approach defined by mind-bending imagery, immersive storytelling, and a commitment to creating cohesive, visually distinct worlds. The result is a video that does not merely accompany the music — it gives the world of Iswylm a face, a texture, and a pulse.
Crucially, the band members themselves appear in the video — stepping into the frame as the mythological figures they have always been within the world of Elda. Each member, through their own moniker, becomes a protagonist in the unfolding story of the Seer, integrating the human behind the music into the legend itself. It is a rare kind of artistic commitment: the creators and their creation made inseparable.
This is STORMKEEP stepping fully into the light as a visual force.
The Nocturnes Of Iswylm — Out June 12 via Vesperian
The video arrives two days ahead of the album itself, and serves as the ideal entry point into what is, by any measure, the most ambitious record of STORMKEEP's career.
Continuing the story first opened on Tales Of Othertime, The Nocturnes Of Iswylm further develops the band's self-described "black metal symphonia": a blend of regal, medieval atmosphere, and fantastical storytelling, carried by precise songwriting and a strong sense of place. Yet make no mistake — this is not a sequel in any conservative sense of the word. The band has sacrificed their prancing, dungeon synth-laden, dragon-summoning comfort zone in favor of something more psychologically complex, exploring the inner world of their protagonist, The Seer, and drawing on their deeper goth influences. The album is more dynamic, more melodic, and more subdued than its predecessor — while remaining unmistakably STORMKEEP.
The record was produced by STORMKEEP together with Michael Zech (SECRETS OF THE MOON, DARK FORTRESS, THE RUINS OF BEVERAST) and mastered by Arthur Rizk (BLOOD INCANTATION, POWER TRIP, WORM). The cover artwork was created by Simon Bisley, whose unmistakable visual language adds another striking layer to the world of the album, with additional extensive artwork by Valnoir, known for his work with ULVER, PARADISE LOST, and AMORPHIS.
Tracklist:
1. The Taste Of Immortal Blood
2. The Black Dragons Of Iswylm
3. Saccharine Subjugation
4. Imperious Sanguine Eroticism
5. Echoes In The Vasts Of Sequestration
6. Carnal Tapestries Of Nailtorn Flesh
7. Ballad Of A Fallen Star
The album is available on vinyl in multiple limited variants, including exclusive Europe and North America editions. Get your copy of the album from your local record store, your mailorder company or from the Vesperian webstore/Bandcamp store or find it here: https://tr.ee/vesperian_stormkeep
About STORMKEEP:
Founded in Denver, Colorado in 2017, STORMKEEP have become one of the spearheads of contemporary symphonic black metal. From the beginning, the band’s work has been defined by a clear sense of identity: melodic, atmospheric, and rooted in the genre’s classic tradition, while shaped by their own fantasy-driven world and narrative approach.
Their first official release, the "Galdrum" EP, arrived in 2020 and quickly established STORMKEEP as a band with a distinctive vision. One year later, their debut album "Tales Of Othertime" expanded that world further, earning the band strong recognition within the international black metal underground and placing them among the most notable new names in the field.
Now signed to Vesperian, STORMKEEP return with their second full-length album, "The Nocturnes Of Iswylm". Continuing the story first opened on "Tales Of Othertime", the record further develops the band’s self-described black metal symphonia: a blend of grandeur, medieval atmosphere, and fantastical storytelling, carried by precise songwriting and a strong sense of place.
Produced by the band together with Michael Zech, known for his work with SECRETS OF THE MOON, DARK FORTRESS, and THE RUINS OF BEVERAST, and mastered by Arthur Rizk, whose credits include BLOOD INCANTATION, POWER TRIP, and WORM, "The Nocturnes Of Iswylm" presents STORMKEEP’s vision with clarity and depth. The cover artwork was created by Simon Bisley, whose unmistakable visual language adds another striking layer to the world of the album. Additional extensive artwork was created by Valnoir, known for his work with ULVER, PARADISE LOST, AMORPHIS, and more.
Following the late March release of the first single, "Carnal Tapestries Of Nailtorn Flesh", STORMKEEP have now also released the second single, "Imperious Sanguine Eroticism". It offers another view into "The Nocturnes Of Iswylm" and underlines the band’s position at the forefront of modern symphonic black metal: traditional in spirit, carefully crafted, and fully committed to the world they have built.
STORMKEEP Line-Up:
Otheyn Vermithrax: Vocals, guitar, keyboards, drums
Apokteino: Guitar
Nebula Husk: Bass
Lord Dahthar: Keyboards
STORMKEEP Online:
https://www.instagram.com/stormkeepofficial/
VESPERIAN Online:
www.vesperian.world
www.instagram.com/vesperian.world
www.youtube.com/@Vesperian.watchers
Quelle: Oktober Promotion