Metalcatto
Can you believe that this is Asenheim‘s tenth album? I honestly can’t. Why haven’t we heard more about these musicians before now? Is it their marketing team’s fault? Is it our fault? I don’t know, but it’s time to try to fix that by reviewing Elbenblut. Besides, it’s been a while since we reviewed some Black/Folk—yesterday, technically—and you people can’t seem to get enough of this stuff. Let’s face it, you’re all a little geeky deep down. Shall we begin?
If you like Lord of the Rings but somehow felt it needed to be in German, then Elbenblut is the album you need. It creates that dense, foggy atmosphere that reflects a place and time long lost to history. At first, I wasn’t too impressed, if I’m honest with you. It felt like another Black/Folk album destined for the pile. But as I delved deeper into this long story, I found myself enjoying the hypnotic and ancient vibe that slowly reveals itself. There are plenty of epic moments here to get lost in. So yes, this is a Black Metal nerd’s wet dream, complete with swords, forests, and existential longing.
The vocals and the melodic guitars carry the bulk of this album. They really fill it with so much emotion that they make Elbenblut more than just another album obsessed with fantasy lands that almost nobody outside the niche cares about. There, I said it. You nerds send me geeky stuff every week—it needs to stop. Anyway, pardon my meltdown. The tracks themselves are pretty engaging and enjoyable despite the titanic length of most of the work. I didn’t get bored at all, which is more than I can say for many shorter albums that cross my desk.
It’s time to discuss the elephant in the room. This thing is seventy minutes long. You heard that right. That’s one of the longest albums we’ve reviewed at MER. Even if all the tracks are top notch, one starts to wonder if we ever have enough time in our lives to listen to Elbenblut back to back in one sitting. It was a personal challenge just to make it through without checking my phone. Yet I think the solution would have been simple. Most of the songs stay in one loop for extended stretches. I’d dare say you could cut between one to two minutes from each track and keep everything just as impactful while making the whole thing more cohesive and less daunting.
So Asenheim has been doing this for twenty years, and it sounds like they could keep going for another twenty. The band feels young and vital despite the accumulated mileage. Despite the insane ambition of Elbenblut, I’d say overall it was a worthy ride. So if you’re fed up with pure Power/Folk Lord of the Rings worship that feels like a Renaissance fair pamphlet, this album brings back some of the actual mystery of Mordor. Or whatever imaginary map you’re currently obsessed with. Just clear your schedule first.
Label: Dominance of Darkness Records
Release date: April 24, 2026
Website: facebook.com/asenheimblackmetal
Country: Germany
Score: 3.5/5.0
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