Year of release: 2020
Label: Iron Bonehead Productions
Rating: 7,5 / 10
The indefatigable Nightwolf continues to create his archaic musical art, without leaving alone any of his projects. Before I blinked, BLOOD STRONGHOLD released an EP and an album that I hadn’t heard yet, and the new RUNESPELL release arrived: a split with fellow countryman D., known primarily for the depressingly boring atmospheric one-man band WOODS OF DESOLATION. “Wandering Forlorn” contains three songs from each participant.
First half for RUNESPELL. As always, I never tire of admiring Nightwolf’s ability to play the same thing over and over again so beautifully. Two epic hymns and one acoustic number of RUNESPELL are filled with melancholy and ancient enchantments as much as they are permeated with irreconcilable militancy. The depth of RUNESPELL music is inexhaustible, and its invariable atmosphere gets you bored. I repeat this again and again, but the Australian Nightwolf still creates the most honest white European metal on the modern scene.
FOREST MYSTICISM left me with a bad impression on the recent split with KRYPTA NICESTWA. “Wandering Forlorn” did not strengthen this impression, but did not dispel it. Here you can see a completely different approach and level of talent. The first song is the most banal atmospheric metal with blast beats, which probably even the most unpretentious listeners can't stand anymore. The vocals and the general atmosphere hint at cautious attempts to peek at SAOR, and when slow fragments are turned on, the hints become much more pronounced. However, I do not exclude that it's Andy from SAOR was once inspired by D.'s earlier works. The acoustic composition “Rivers of Silver (II)”, among other things, is obviously inspired by DRUDKH, maybe even by the BlazeBirth Hall acts. By the way, it is very beautiful, no questions asked. The third thing is also blast-beated through, but it contains the necessary dynamics and good melodic solutions that make it sound in tune with the work of RUNESPELL. It is a pity that the sound quality turned out to be very lousy. The point is not the artisanal recording method, which I welcome, but very bad mixing because of which it is difficult to hear anything specific.
Although the forces on the split are certainly not equal, the overall impression of it is absolutely positive. In any case, 20 minutes of new music from RUNESPELL means automatic acquisition, even if FOREST MYSTICISM on its side farted for an hour and burped into the microphone. But D. presented strong material, therefore there can be no doubt - buy or die!
English (UK) 
Крыўская