Archive for dark folk

ATARAXIA Summon Shamanic Spirits of the North in New Single “Alabaster”

Posted in dark ambient music, dark folk, dark wave, Music, music news, neoclassical, news with tags , , , , , , on May 9, 2026 by Metal Odyssey

New album “Sylfaera the Fair” completes the epic trilogy begun with “Pomegranate” and “Centaurea”

New music features glossolalia (invented language) and weaves together elements of nordic, dark and ritual folk

30th studio album to be released on 21 May 2026 via The Circle Music in Digi CD, limited marbled transparent turquoise & black LP and a limited Deluxe Black Box. Pre-orders available

As the release of their landmark 30th studio album draws near, Ataraxia have unveiled the next chapter of their latest odyssey. The new single and video, “Alabaster”, moves away from the Mediterranean rites of the previous single towards the frost-laden peaks of the North. 

Taken from the upcoming album Sylfaera the Fair, the final installment of a trilogy that began with “Pomegranate” and “Centaurea”, “Alabaster” introduces a warrior-shaman into the band’s unfolding mythos. 

Watch the video for “Alabaster”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJgsL7HnOoU

Stream the track

https://thecirclemusic.lnk.to/Alabaster

In the world of “Sylfaera the Fair”, “Alabaster” is a free spirit and a shaman deeply entwined with the wolf species. He roams the snow-capped Northern mountains, a formidable warrior who balances the disciplined grace of martial arts with the raw, savage power of the wilderness.

As a member of the Fellowship of the 9, “Alabaster” embodies the sacred masculine. He is a body-shifter, moving between the forms of man and wolf, his identity defined by the pale hue of his skin and fur. He is the first to arrive at the ritual grounds of Loona under the light of the full moon, acting as the vanguard who opens portals through arcane formulas.

The band comments on the track’s significance: “Alabaster acts as a bridge between the physical and the spiritual. On the night in Loona, he longs to reunite with his group soul, moving not as an individual, but as a single spiritual entity guided by powerful instinct. He knows the shadows, the tracks, and the smells of the wild. He represents that primal, intuitive force that exists within the sacred masculine.”

The track features the evocative vocals of Francesca Nicoli, set against the music that includes bouzouki, electric guitar, and ritualistic programming by Vittorio Vandelli, and keyboards of Giovanni Pagliari. The haunting uilleann pipes of guest musician Gregorio Bellodi further elevate the arrangement. Wampyrion directed the accompanying video. 

Sylfaera the Fair will be available from 21 May 2026 in three distinct physical formats via The Circle Music. Options include a high-quality Digi CD, a Turquoise LP limited to 400 copies, and a Deluxe Black Box embossed in silver, limited to only 100 copies. The box set features exclusive silver vinyl, a “Travelling Stone” ritual artifact, a 16-page booklet, and a personal message from the band. 

PRE-ORDER

https://thecirclemusic.gr/product-category/distributed-stuff/?filter_artist-name=ataraxia&products-per-page=all

DIGITAL PRE-SAVE

https://thecirclemusic.lnk.to/SylfaeraTheFair

Ataraxia previously released the singles “Sylfaera” and “Llawara”.

Sylfaera the Fair – Tracklist: 
1. Alabaster
2. Breanwinn
3. Alqua
4. Sylfaera
5. Silvertine
6. Loona
7. Llawarra
8. Muirreann (CD Bonus Track)
9. Ojos Sagrados
10. Crowea

Ataraxia online:
Websitehttp://www.ataraxia.net/
Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/AtaraxiaFB
YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/@atarassxia
Spotifyhttps://artists.spotify.com/c/artist/5wRrRxmJnNTnieaNKAzTZI/profile/overview
Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/music_from_ataraxia/

The Circle Music online:
Websitehttps://thecirclemusic.gr/ 
Linktreehttps://linktr.ee/thecirclemusic

Source: 3nation

Wardruna’s New Album, Birna, Out Now via Sony Music/By Norse Music

Posted in ambient music, folk rock, Music, music news, news with tags , , , , on January 27, 2025 by Metal Odyssey

Birna cover, photo by Tuukka Koski with artwork by Øivind A. Myksvoll

LISTEN HERE: https://bio.to/Wardruna

“LIVE AT THE ACROPOLIS” DVD/BLU-RAY ALSO OUT NOW

January 24, 2024, Bergen, Norway – Wardruna‘s new album, Birna, is available today (listen here). Birna, translating to the she-bear in Old Norse, is a work of art dedicated to the warden of the forest, nature’s caretaker. The group has simultaneously released the film: “Live at the Acropolis,” which was recorded at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Acropolis, Athens.

Einar Selvik comments on the release of Birna: “Today is the release of our sixth album, Birna– a sonic journey into the woodland realms of the bear and its cyclic life rhythm. It is very much a conceptual album that is perhaps best experienced when listened to from beginning to end. If you wish to dive even further into the deeper meanings of the songs but don’t understand the language, then please know that our albums always include a booklet including lyrics translated into English. Give it a listen and let us know what you think.”

Photo credit: Morten Munthe

A six-song exploration of the bear and the cyclical process embedded both in nature and the worldview of older cultures, drives the creative process behind the album.

Birna nurtures the insight that has been at the core of Selvik’s philosophy right from the start: sowing new seeds whilst strengthening old roots. Instruments and wisdom from ancient times, coupled with modern day soundscapes and recorded sounds of nature, provide a rare opportunity to tell us something valuable about ourselves. It works as a reminder that we are part of nature, not above it, and it offers a way of remembering, not for memory’s own sake, but to gain both new and forgotten insights.

Wardruna on the February cover of Decibel Magazine

Birna seeks to address the here and now and the way forward. “The more I thought, read, and researched, the more I realized that this album should mainly have a contemporary focus. Unraveling the long and entangled history of the relationship between man and Bear and contemplating the present state of how we humans relate to the wild in general,” Selvik adds.

Birna and “Live at the Acropolis” is available on limited-edition vinyl, CD and digitally.

Wardruna tour dates:

January 25 Sydney, AU Enmore Theatre
January 27 Brisbane, AU Fortitude Music Hall
January 30 Auckland, NZ Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre

Special guest Jo Quail on March UK and IE dates

March 17 Liverpool, UK Philharmonic
March 18 Birmingham, UK Symphony Hall
March 19 London, UK Royal Albert Hall
March 21 Bristol, UK Beacon
March 22 York, UK Barbican
March 23 Dublin, IE Olympia Theatre
March 25 Glasgow, UK SEC Armadillo

April 26 Oslo, NO Operaen SOLD OUT
April 27 Oslo, NO Operaen SOLD OUT
April 29 Trondheim, NO Olavshallen
May 2 Kristiansand, NO Kilden
May 3 Stavanger, NO Konserthuset
May 4 Bergen, NO Grieghallen

June 7 Reykjavik, IS Harpa
July 25 to 27 Red Eagle Campground (Cut Bank), MT Fire In The Mountains
July 30 to August 30 Rasnov, RO Rockstadt Extreme Fest

Wardruna.com

YouTube.com/wardruna

Instagram.com/wardruna

Facebook.com/wardruna

Source: Speakeasy PR