Nordvis

15/08/2025

We’d like to thank Bandcamp for featuring both “Laurentian Blue” and “Songs of Hiraeth” as their Album of the Day.

Read more here:
https://daily.bandcamp.com/album-of-the-day/panopticon-laurentian-blue-songs-of-hiraeth-review

15/08/2025

Out now: Panopticon – “Songs of Hireath”, CD/LP/Digital

Note: The CD & DLP is delayed and now expected to ship on September 5.

A collection long in the shadows, “Songs of Hiraeth” brings to light a body of work written and recorded between 2009 and 2011 – songs once set aside, scattered across forgotten splits or lost to the passing of time. Now, remixed, re-amped, and newly presented, these tracks finally take their rightful place within the Panopticon canon.

Order: https://nordvis.lnk.to/panopticon

Originally intended for collaborative releases that never materialised, these seven songs were born during a formative period for Austin Lunn – a time of travel, personal growth, and political reflection. Themes of indigenous history, green anarchism, and the consequences of industrialisation blend with a deep sense of nostalgia and the urge to shed past trauma.

“Songs of Hiraeth” stands not as a meditation on death, but as a tribute to transition, memory, and paths once wandered. It captures the spirit of an era – now brought into focus with the clarity of hindsight.

15/08/2025

Out now: Panopticon – “ Laurentian Blue”, CD/LP/Digital

Note: The CD is delayed and now expected to ship on September 5.

With “Laurentian Blue”, Panopticon ventures beyond the boundaries of metal to explore an entirely different emotional terrain. Though not the band’s first foray into acoustic territory – “The Scars of Man on the Once Nameless Wilderness, Part 2” (2018) charted similar ground – this album deepens the journey. Described by Austin Lunn as ‘Northwoods Americana’ or ‘outdoor country’, it offers a raw and intimate reflection on loss, change, and the quiet strength of human connection.

Order: https://nordvis.lnk.to/panopticon

Written alongside “...And Again into the Light” (2021), this companion piece trades distortion for acoustic resonance – banjo, mandolin, resonator guitar, and twin violins painting a soundscape steeped in frost, memory, and resilience. While the palette is gentler, the themes remain no less weighty: the burden of regret, the passage of time, and the quiet act of holding on – not for oneself, but for those who remind us of our worth.

Inspired by songwriters like Blaze Foley and Townes Van Zandt, “Laurentian Blue” is a record of stark beauty and quiet defiance. It stands as a testament to Panopticon’s ever-evolving spirit – wherever the sound may go, the heart remains the same.

Austin Lunn commented:

“Laurentian Blue” was mostly written during an extremely dark time in my life. Many of the songs took shape in a remote cabin deep within Northern Minnesota’s Superior National Forest — a place I visited often before relocating there full-time in 2021.

The album emerged during several years of intense depression and grief — a period marked by personal loss, the death of a family member, medical trauma, a global pandemic, and a national crisis and uprising. Writing became a way to create a calm space to hold and process those experiences.

The final three songs were written after I moved to the far north of Minnesota, out into the North Woods, near the deep wilderness of the Boundary Waters. The stillness and solitude of that landscape naturally found their way into the music.

We’ve enjoyed performing these songs live over the past couple of years, and I’m excited to finally be able to share the recordings with others.

13/08/2025

Vi vill rikta ett varmt och innerligt grattis till Thomas von Wachenfeldt, som i år tilldelats utmärkelsen Årets Hälsing.

Med sina senaste verk – såväl den säregna tolkningen av Hultkläppens musik som det nyskapande albumet ”Estradörerna” – visar Thomas prov på en sällsynt förmåga att förena det förflutna med nuet. En tonsättare som rör sig mellan folklighet och kulturella finrum, utan att någonsin förlora fästet i det jordnära.

Vi är tacksamma över att få vara en del av resan. För den som vill veta mer om Thomas och hans värv tipsar vi om att han nyligen medverkat i den svenska podcasten Budoarstämning.

Lyssna här: https://budoarstamning.substack.com/p/thomas-von-wachenfeldt-om-folkmusik

01/08/2025

Today, Panopticon presents: “Ely in the Dark”, the third and final single from “Laurentian Blue”, due for release by Nordvis and Bindrune Recordings on August 15.

Listen: https://nordvis.lnk.to/panopticon

“Laurentian Blue” sees Panopticon leave behind the distortion and delve into a quieter, more intimate realm. Steeped in acoustic Americana, this companion to “…And Again into the Light” explores grief, resilience, and memory through banjo, mandolin, and twin violins. Inspired by the likes of Townes Van Zandt, it’s a record of stark emotional clarity – a reminder that sometimes the heaviest burdens are carried in silence.

Austin Lunn commented:

“Ely in the Dark” is about life in the northwoods, conjuring images of what people’s lives are like here. The northern lights often illuminate our skies at night – but on cloudy evenings, the faint glow from town reflects off the low clouds and gives the false impression that the lights are beginning. I feel like a lot of things in life, for better and worse, aren’t what they seem. Life is drenched in both mystery and irony, and we’re all just finding our way through it.

"Ely in the Dark" is the third and final single from the upcoming album “Laurentian Blue”, due for release by Nordvis & Bindrune Recordings on August 15.⏩ ht...

25/07/2025

From northern Ontario comes “Awaken the Sleeping Forest” – the second single from Finnr's Cane’s forthcoming self-titled album, arriving August 29 via Nordvis.

Listen and pre-order: https://nordvis.lnk.to/finnrs-cane

A surge of raw energy and reverent power, the piece channels the spirit of the vast Canadian wilderness through blast-driven black metal riffing, symphonic flourishes, and the band’s hallmark chordal richness. Piano arpeggios weave throughout, evoking both grandeur and introspection.

Like much of the album, the song was born of spontaneous creation – shaped during an improvisational jam and recorded in the solitude of a Sudbury winter. Its title speaks to a deeper intent: a stirring of the soul in harmony with the natural world. Here, trees are more than trees, and mountains carry the weight of meaning – standing as symbols of awe, resilience, and awakening.

With “Awaken the Sleeping Forest”, Finnr’s Cane embrace the more epic, blizzard-swept edges of their sound while remaining rooted in the instinctual process that has defined their work for over a decade. It is a song that looks skyward, heart open, in quiet gratitude for the land that shaped it.

The Bard commented:

It’s a journey through these forests, monumental creations shaped by time, as we experience the change of seasons. And as silence slowly settles upon them, we acknowledge that we too are part of this cycle of life and death, and find peace in its beauty and simplicity. The song also serves as a warning: as the forest’s final flame fades and winter sets in, a haunting lament rises – echoing the grave consequences of ignoring the natural forces that sustain the world.

From northern Ontario comes “Awaken the Sleeping Forest” – the second single from Finnr’s Cane’s forthcoming self-titled album, arriving August 29 via Nordvi...

11/07/2025

Out of northern Minnesota comes “Ever North” – the second single from Panopticon’s upcoming “Laurentian Blue”, set for release on August 15.

Listen: https://nordvis.lnk.to/panopticon

Written alongside “...And Again into the Light” (2021), “Laurentian Blue” trades distortion for acoustic resonance – banjo, mandolin, resonator guitar, and twin violins painting a soundscape steeped in frost, memory, and resilience. While the palette is gentler, the themes remain no less weighty: the burden of regret, the passage of time, and the quiet act of holding on – not for oneself, but for those who remind us of our worth.

Austin Lunn commented:

The song is about trying to find where you belong – feeling like nowhere is home, always searching for a place where you fit. I grew up in the South, born in Tennessee and raised in the Delta region, and I’ve been moving north ever since... to Kentucky, then Norway, then Minnesota – and now to far northern Minnesota, near the Canadian border.

It feels like I’ve been following a winding road ever further north in search of that place. Ever North is about exactly that – finding somewhere you can be yourself without the scrutiny of others. Somewhere that gives you the confidence not to care about outside judgment, because the land itself makes you feel whole.

01/07/2025

Now reissued: – "Arvet"

CD Jewel Case • 16 Page Booklet. Order via nordvis.com/grift

"Arvet" (“The Heritage”) 2017/2025 continues where "Syner" left off. Once again, Erik Gärdefors tackles the big endless questions that sensitive people have always struggled with and tried to express. From the small and seemingly insignificant sparks residing in all of mankind to that which pulsates and becomes meaningful; something beyond the meadows and the forests.

We can never escape the heritage we carry within us. An inheritance is something that characterises every individual in ways which are often paradoxical - be it social, biological, or religious. With “Arvet”, Grift seeks to illuminate the perpetual journey from the small safe place in each man’s heart to the great unforeseen life. We often believe that everything will take shape from scratch into something unique. But, sooner or later, we understand our vulnerabilities and fall back on what we inherited back in the innocence of childhood.

The album was written and recorded by Erik in his studio, Eremitaget Liesmia. In addition to the usual instrumentation, Erik also included the psalmodicon – an old Swedish instrument which was mostly used in poor congregations during the 19th century. Furthermore, Erik has recorded plenty of nature sounds from the forests around where he lives. The howling of tawny owls, the scream of a fox, and so forth help build up the right kind of atmosphere. Three guests contribute with their characteristic voices: Ludvig from Forndom, Inkantator Koura from Mosaic, and Elea from Noêta and Undantagsfolk. To illustrate the concept behind the song “Den stora tystnaden” ("The Great Silence") a music video was filmed. The video follows the same red thread that runs through Grift’s earlier music video, “Svältorna”, which was produced in 2015.

27/06/2025

Swedish artist Linnea Hjertén returns with “Steg för steg” (‘Step by Step’), a hushed hymn to the unseen path. Guided by layered vocal harmonies and poetic depth, the song traces a solitary journey through darkness, memory, and renewal. As always, Hjertén’s music draws from ritual ambient and Nordic folk, but here her lyrical voice takes the lead – quietly insistent, intimately human. The result is a reflection on movement without destination, a personal myth unfolding in measured cadence. With every step inward, a paradox emerges: progress lies not in advance, but in surrender to what lies within.

Swedish artist Linnea Hjertén returns with “Steg för steg” (‘Step by Step’), a hushed hymn to the unseen path. Guided by layered vocal harmonies an...

20/06/2025

Out now:

Panopticon – “...And Again into the Light”, CD Gatefold

Panopticon’s “...And Again into the Light” stands as a towering reflection on grief, renewal, and the passage of time. Melding Appalachian folk with aggressive metal and atmospheric textures, Austin Lunn crafts a deeply personal journey through midlife’s turbulence and the spectre of ecological collapse. Soul-baring and genre-defying, this album remains a landmark of emotional depth and artistic ambition within Panopticon’s celebrated discography.

Panopticon – “The Rime of Memory”, CD Gatefold

Panopticon’s “Songs of Hiraeth” breathes life into seven long-hidden compositions from 2009–2011, now fully realised with fresh production and introspective clarity. Born of youthful wanderlust and reflections on mortality, each track weaves spectral memories of Northern Europe and unspoken loss. Evocative photography from Norway’s fjords frames this three‑sided LP, uniting past and present in a mournful yet transcendent tribute to paths once imagined.

Order: https://nordvis.com/panopticon

20/06/2025

Out of the cold stillness of northern Ontario comes “Twilight Glow” – the first single from Finnr's Cane’s forthcoming self-titled album, slated for release on August 29.

Listen and pre-order: https://nordvis.lnk.to/finnrs-cane

True to the band’s instinctual approach, the song took shape through extended improvisation: a dialogue of guitar and drums recorded in the stillness of winter, later sculpted into something both deliberate and dreamlike.

Balancing fierce black metal riffing with plaintive harp arpeggios, “Twilight Glow” captures the tension between fragility and force. It is music for liminal moments – for frozen dawns and flickering thoughts – steeped in themes of loss, longing, and transcendence. Lyrically, the piece is a quiet ode to the healing power of art and the deep solace found in sound.

With this release, Finnr’s Cane invite listeners once more into their contemplative world – shaped by snow, silence, and the ever-fading light.

The Peasant commented:

“Twilight Glow” is a song that represents Finnr’s Cane well. Rooted in traditional atmospheric black metal, it meanders along a winding path from beginning to end. The vocals receive sharper focus than in our previous work, creating a lush dynamic with the resonant guitar chords. It’s a piece that feels both familiar and new within the Finnr’s Cane catalogue.

Out of the cold stillness of northern Ontario comes “Twilight Glow” – the first single from Finnr's Cane’s forthcoming self-titled album, slated for release ...

18/06/2025

Our longtime partner Eisenwald is reissuing Agalloch’s 2006 masterpiece “Ashes Against the Grain”. As with “The Mantle”, Nordvis will release an exclusive Scandinavian edition limited to 100 copies. This silver/white double LP includes a twelve-page booklet and comes housed in a triple gatefold with copper interior print and black poly-lined inner sleeves. Available as of August 29.

Pre-order: https://www.nordvis.com/agalloch

Originally released in 2006, “Ashes Against the Grain” seamlessly blends weight and atmosphere with precision. With their third full-length, Agalloch - The Official Page continued evolving – always a step ahead, yet firmly rooted in the dark metal foundations that shaped them. The album weaves together elements of black metal, Scandinavian prog, and post-rock with the band’s signature blend of melancholy and introspection.

From the driving force of “Falling Snow” to the dissolving trilogy “Our Fortress Is Burning...”, this is Agalloch at their most direct and elemental. In contrast to the firelit warmth of “Pale Folklore” or the monumental, poetic folk of “The Mantle”, “Ashes...” casts its gaze toward a horizon of dying embers with unflinching clarity.

The band’s widescreen approach to songwriting – paired with evocative imagery and refined production – coalesces into a monolithic statement: sharp, modern, and unrelentingly melancholic.

Other versions available via Nordvis:

“Ashes Against The Grain”, 2CD Deluxe Hardcover Book
“Ashes Against The Grain”, Trifold DLP (Black)
“Ashes Against The Grain”, Trifold DLP (Smoke)
“Oddities & Rarities 2001 – 2004”, DLP (Smoke)
“Pale Folklore”, Trifold DLP (Third pressing)
“The Mantle”, Trifold DLP (Second pressing)