I'd say Havukruunu is the rightful holder of the Crown and the mantle of Quorthon. Epic choirs, vikingesque themes and tales from the other times, of the Finnish paganism back in the days before our ancestors were brought to the cross and forced to kneel while feeling the bloody sword of saviour on their throats made to kiss the hand of murderers who burnt thousands, tore down our holy places and took our holy days. Eyes teary I listen to these songs, never forgiving the crimes of the cross! Peikonmieli
A truly stellar death/doom album with heavy doses of black metal. Tracks like Isolation, Child of Light, and Broken Hymns deliver the sorrowful and icy tone of this album, elevated by the stirring cello compositions of Raphael Weinroth-Browne. The album delivers a deeply satisfying crescendo in Becoming Intangible before stirring the soul once again with Epilogue. Matt Richardson