‘Storm of the Reaper’ was a shared reference point for guitarist and vocalist Matteo Conti and drummer Zack Osiris when they formed SHROUD. The Montreal blackened thrash band have now released their own version of the NIFELHEIM song, which they already perform regularly live. The recording is available on Spotify and YouTube.
In the announcement, Conti explains that the choice reflects the Swedish band’s influence across SHROUD’s lineup. He describes the original as having ‘old‑school heavy metal elements twisted into black metal’ and says the cover also acknowledges lyricist Erik Danielsson, frontman of WATAIN, another influence on the band.
‘We perform this live often and wanted to pay it forward with our own spin,’ Conti says.
The cover follows SHROUD’s debut album, Pax Nocturna, and precedes four Canadian shows with Scotland’s HELLRIPPER on the ‘Goatkraft & Granite Canada Tour.’ The announcement says audiences can expect the cover in SHROUD’s live set.
- November 25, 2026 — Montreal, QC — Piranha Bar
- November 26, 2026 — Quebec City, QC — La Source De La Martiniere
- November 27, 2026 — Ottawa, ON — Dominion Tavern (Capital Punishment Festival)
- November 28, 2026 — Toronto, ON — Supermarket Bar & Variety
SHROUD formed in 2022, with Conti and Osiris beginning to write together during the pandemic. Guitarist Jordan Barillaro and bassist Justin Cournoyer joined later, completing the lineup that performs on the album and live.
Released June 4, 2026, Pax Nocturna is available digitally, on CD and on vinyl. The announcement describes its storytelling as dark, violent and occult, and recommends the record to listeners of WATAIN, DISSECTION, HELLRIPPER, SKELETONWITCH and NECROPHOBIC.
The supplied review excerpts offer further perspectives on the debut’s musical and lyrical content. The Metal Crypt points to rocking solos and a blend of older and newer approaches, while The Black Metal Archive describes themes of philosophy, anti-religion and the abyss, identifying Satanic Gnosticism as the overarching concept. These are the reviewers’ descriptions of the record.
Conti and Osiris wrote all of the album’s songs, with performances by the four band members. SHROUD and Barillaro produced the record; Barillaro also mixed it. Tore Stjerna handled mastering, and Cournoyer created the album artwork.
- Pax Nocturna (0:43)
- The Eternal Void (5:09)
- The Zealot (5:15)
- Merciless Tyrants (5:59)
- Darkest Night (4:45)
- Diablivion (5:28)
- Death Blows Over (4:18)
- All Creation (5:29)
- Abaddon (7:55)
The announcement lists the album’s total running time as 45:05.
