Troll Rounds Out 30 Years As A Band On "Trolldom" (Album Stream)

December 1, 2023

Troll have, in various guises and lineups, been around for a long time. The brainchild of musician and vocalist Nagash (also of The Covenant/The Kovenant), who founded the band in 1993, Troll's output has been meager over the past two decades. In the shadow of their first demo, Trollstorm over Nidingjuv, and debut full length, Drep de Kristne, Troll's varied output over the past 30 years has been centered around one instrument: keyboards. This garnered Troll some dislike early on, but with the new (old) school re-embracing the digital instrument, these Norwegians can truly shine again with their first album in 13 years: Trolldom.

Generally mid-paced, even at its speediest moments, Trolldom preoccupies itself with crafting spooky and terrifying atmospheres more than they care about "being the fastest" or "grimmest' band on the market. It's a mix of solid, melodic songwriting and uniquely Troll-ish ambiance-craft that gives the world a nostalgic, but still current listen. It's not about re-inventing the past, but being inspired by it, and bassist Sturt tells me as much in conversation ("It’s old school or nothing!") when discussing Trolldom. This is an intriguing contrast to the hyper modernized Neo-Satanic Supremacy, released on Napalm Records in 2010, but Troll have since rediscovered the trail they blazed, as evidenced by their 2020 EP Tilbake til Trollberg, the only music to materialize within the past decade-plus.

Closing a vast period of time, and reaching a huge milestone for Troll overall (30 years is like 200 years in black metal time), Trolldom is proof that old dogs don't need new tricks, necessarily, but Troll's ability to learn from and expand upon their past is more than enough to survive in the current landscape. Listen to Trolldom in full ahead of its release below.

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