Ancient Wisdom and the Art of the Successful Return (Full Album Stream)

I love it when an artist makes a really solid return after a lengthy period of time. It means a lot to me in some odd, fulfilling way, like the art was a part of the artist all along and not the product of the time from whence the art came. Many return stories result in disappointment, an artist cashing in on their brand rather than feeling the depths of inspiration which first led them to create under their former moniker. In Swedish doomed black metal project Ancient Wisdom‘s case, multi-instrumentalist Marcus “Vargher” Norman (Naglfar) draws from the same pool of inspiration which gave the world such underground classics as …and the Physical Shape of Light Bled and For Snow Covered the Northland.

In A Celebration In Honor Of Death‘s case, Ancient Wisdom’s first release in 17 years, Vargher’s inspirations come from a more modern place; the album features martial rhythms, hefty chord progressions, and evil atmospheres not unlike where the project left off in 2004, but starring a more practiced hand which also revealed itself on the latest (and also the product of a long wait) Naglfar record.

Although Ancient Wisdom in 2021 is vaguely different from its previous incarnations, the spirit within remains steadfast, and Vargher’s latest creation is undoubtedly an Ancient Wisdom record. Even after almost two decades, Ancient Wisdom, much like the spirit held within it, remains. Listen to an exclusive stream of A Celebration In Honor Of Death below.

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A Celebration In Honor Of Death releases June 4th on Avantgarde Music.