Out Now! Icelandic Sorcerous Folk Metal HRAFNABLÓT Debut Album "Guðlaugar Saga"
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Icelandic sorcerous folk‑metal band Hrafnablót proudly announces the release of their debut full‑length album, "Guðlaugar Saga," available everywhere today, September 11, 2026. The album marks a major milestone for one of Iceland’s most compelling new metal acts, an ensemble known for ritualistic live performances, dramatic storytelling, and a sound forged from the contrasting light and darkness of Icelandic magick.
Formed in late 2024, Hrafnablót has quickly become a rising force in Iceland’s metal scene, performing at Íslenski rokkbarinn, Lemmy, BIRD, and the Icelandic Sorcery Festival. Their music blends heavy riffs, folk instrumentation, haunting melodies, and both clean and harsh vocals, creating what the band calls their own brand of sorcerous folk metal.
Giving listeners a sweeping sonic journey inspired by Icelandic nature and folklore, Hrafnablót’s debut concept album "Guðlaugar Saga" follows Guðlaug, a modern‑day woman pulled back into Iceland’s settlement age with nothing but her clothes and a taser. Across seven full songs and two spoken‑word pieces, the album traces her vivid, time‑bending saga, from Spádómurinn, a seer’s whispered prophecy over Icelandic winds, into "Dísablót," where a driving ritual‑bound riff launches her story. "Heljarhlíð" delivers melodic death‑metal intensity and dual vocals as she’s forced into battle, while "Fögnuður" bursts into a celebratory folk‑metal anthem. Darkness rises in "Nornarheimt," the album’s harshest track, as brigands kidnap her, followed by "Svartigaldur," a metallized sea‑shanty built on an old Icelandic folk melody. "Heimþrá" offers a melodic, keyboard‑led moment of homesickness and dark magick, before the saga reaches its climax in "Örlagavegur," an 11‑minute epic of shifting meters and fate as Guðlaug confronts her final choice.
“When writing the album, we knew right away we wanted to create a strong and cohesive narrative and to feature the stark contrasts present in Icelandic folklore and Sagas. The album features seven songs, along with a spoken word interlude and intro, weaving together influences from Icelandic magick, history, and culture. The sound can most aptly be described as sorcerous folk metal, drawing influence from the contrasting darkness and light of Icelandic folk culture as well as sonic influences from Nordic folk metal, NWOBHM, various gothic and miscellaneous extreme metal genres,” adds the band.
Recommended for fans of Ensiferum, Nightwish, Wintersun, Skálmöld, and Eluveitie, "Guðlaugar Saga" is now available on all digital platforms, CD, and Vinyl.
CD, Vinyl - https://elasticstage.com/hrafnablot/releases/gudlaugar-saga-album
Bandcamp - https://hrafnablot.bandcamp.com/album/gu-laugar-saga-2
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/album/74tlHFVXjDeUJ8OUUcIHOK
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Track Listing:
1. Spádómurinn - 1:49
2. Dísablót - 5:44
3. Heljarhlíð - 6:22
4. Kappar, Meyjar, Komendur - 1:22
5. Fögnuður - 5:41
6. Nornarheimt - 5:21
7. Svartigaldur - 5:17
8. Heimþrá - 4:59
9. Örlagavegur - 11:23
Album Length: 48:02
Band Line-up:
Hugrún Hanna Stefánsdóttir - Vocals
Þórgnýr Einar Albertsson - Bass & Backing Vocals
Ólafur Daði Jónsson - Keyboards & Backing Vocals
Steingrímur Viðar Karlsson - Guitar & Backing Vocals
Andri Pétur Dalmar - Drums & Backing Vocals
Mara Birna Jóhannsdóttir - Guitar
For more info:
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