Iskald
Stark, Monumental and Existential

23.09.2026

No matter how much you may love Norwegian black metal of the 90s, that country has never stopped giving birth to excellent extreme bands. Iskald may have emerged too late to get as much public attention as the generation that came before, but they have been recording excellent melodic black metal albums for already as long as 20 years. I got to know the band through their second full length, “Revelations Of A Reckoning Day”, back in 2008, and then followed them throughout the 2010s, but by the end of the decade Iskald seemed to disappear from sight. Luckily it turned out just a temporary break, and the band is now back with a new record, tense and crushing “Curse Of The Mind”, which is getting released in the final days of September. We got in contact with drummer-turned-singer Aage Krekling via email, and he provided us with all the details you need to know about the upcoming record.

“Curse Of The Mind” is coming out eight years after the previous album, “Innhostinga”. You’ve never been a band that puts out albums every year, but this gap has been the longest so far. What were the reason why it took so long to come up with a new record?

A lot happened. After “Innhøstinga” we toured, then life happened. We needed distance. The biggest change is that I stepped off the drums after 20 years behind the kit. That was a big decision. Isak Larsen is now on drums full time, with Tobias Aubert on bass, and together with Simon (Larsen, guitar) and Ben (Hansen, guitar) we are now a real five-piece. We also had a pandemic that slowed everything down. We never wanted to release an album just for the sake of it. Once the new lineup was in place, the ideas started flowing naturally.

Iskald worked with Indie Recordings since the very first full-length album, which came out 20 years ago. Why did you switch over to Dusktone for “Curse Of The Mind”? Have you already felt the difference between these two labels, and if yes, in what way?

We have nothing but respect for Indie Recordings and everything we achieved together over 20 years. But after that long, it felt natural to explore something new. Dusktone immediately understood the vision behind “Curse Of The Mind” and wanted to support it as a complete work, not just a collection of singles. That was important to us.

For the first time in the history of Iskald, you worked in the studio as a five-piece band. How much did it change the working process and its outcome? Could you also say a few words about the three new guys?

It changed everything. For the first time it truly feels like the work of a complete band, not a core duo supported by session musicians. Ben brought new textures and atmosphere, Isak added a very dynamic approach to drumming, and Tobias contributed bass lines and ideas that shaped the flow and tension of the songs. The music became more layered, organic and unpredictable because of it. It has made us stronger live and more focused in the studio.

On “Curse Of The Mind”, according to the press release, you are exploring “themes of psychological torment, inner conflict, fragile hope and ultimate sacrifice”. Was the album inspired by COVID lockdowns in any way? Or were there other sources of inspiration that made you address these topics?

Not directly. The pandemic was part of the backdrop, and we even did those rare acoustic things during that time, but the album is more about the psychological landscapes many people find themselves in.

You have only released one full song from the upcoming album, because, as you said, it should be listened to as a whole. In your opinion, what will the listener miss if he/she decides to choose only a few tracks off the album? 

The context. The songs work individually, but they were written as chapters in a larger journey. “Curse Of The Mind” is our first concept album, a tetralogy bound by four “Invocations”. They are the thread that holds everything together and create a narrative flow that disappears when tracks are isolated. Remove the “Invocations” and you still have songs. Listen from beginning to end, and you get the full story.

All your previous albums had lyrics both in English and Norwegian. “Curse Of The Mind”, if I’m not mistaken, is the first Iskald album that is sung entirely in English. How do you choose what language to write lyrics in? Is this intentional, or are you guided by the “gut feeling”? 

Partly. This time the concept became very narrative-driven. We frame it in a stark, Norse vision of Helheim, but Helheim is not a place here, it is the inner darkness given form. For that story, English felt like the most natural language. 

Have you ever tried (or considered) doing two versions of the same song in different languages?

Usually we follow instinct rather than rules. Some ideas sound better in Norwegian, others in English. We've never considered recording two language versions of the same song, it would feel a bit artificial to us.

In your opinion, is it necessary to understand the meaning of your songs to truly appreciate what Iskald are doing? 

Not necessarily. Music should be able to communicate emotion on its own. Understanding the lyrics adds another layer, but it shouldn't be required.

Iskald have never stuck to the same cover artist, you are changing them with pretty much every album. Why did you choose SG7 Graphics for “Curse Of The Mind”, and what is the meaning that you want the new album cover to convey?

Tuomas at SG7 immediately understood the concept. We went strictly black & white this time. No colors, no epic battle paintings. We wanted artwork that reflected the psychological journey at the heart of the album rather than a literal depiction of the songs. The lone figure surrounded by symbols and closing circles represents the struggle against your own mind. Stark, monumental and existential. The music can feel suffocating at times, and we wanted the visuals to reflect that.

Could you also say a few words about latest promotional photos of the band, with you standing in the water and on a shore with torches? Where did you shoot the photos? And how do they fit in the concept of “Curse Of The Mind”?

The promotional photos were taken by Snorre Jøllanger following our performance at “Midgardsblot” last summer. That was the beginning of our collaboration. Since then we've worked closely together to develop a stronger visual identity for the band through photography, video and artwork. For us it's important that the visual side reflects the same atmosphere and identity as the music, and Snorre understands that balance extremely well.

You and Simon have been in Iskald throughout its history. A lot of musicians say that maintaining a stable line-up in a band is more difficult than maintaining a marriage. Would you agree with it? 

Absolutely. Any relationship that lasts twenty years will have its ups and downs, and a band is no different. Me and Simon started this in Sortland in 2005 and have spent most of our adult lives building Iskald together, so naturally there have been disagreements. What has always been important is that the friendship has remained strong. That has allowed us to disagree, be patient and never give up when things became difficult. We've always shared the same long-term vision, even if we haven't always agreed on how to get there. We've never forced things, and I think that patience has been one of our greatest strengths.

I saw a post on your Facebook page where you were announcing a crowdfunding campaign for the release of your debut full-length “Shades Of Misery” on vinyl. Has this campaign been a success? Do you have any plans to release the next two albums on vinyl too? They have never been available on vinyl, as far as I know…

Yes, we were very happy with the response. It showed us that there is still strong interest in our early material. We would absolutely like to see the remaining albums receive vinyl editions as well. Those records deserve a proper physical format.

How do you look back on “Shades Of Misery” at the moment? Do you still enjoy listening to it, or would you have done everything differently on that album, if you had had a chance? 

“Shades Of Misery” will always be a special album for us. It captured exactly who we were at that point in our lives, and I think that's why people still connect with it twenty years later.

By the way, have you actually considered re-recording any old songs with the knowledge and technology that is available to you today?

Of course there are things we would do differently today. We have more experience, better equipment and a broader understanding of songwriting and production. But that's true for almost any album when you look back years later. Those songs belong to a specific time and place, and that's part of their identity. Marking the 20th anniversary with a special vinyl edition and bringing some of those songs back into the live set feels like a much more meaningful way of honoring that era than re-recording them.

You have so far announced three live appearances for the upcoming months. What setlist are you going to have? Do you intend to play “Curse Of The Mind” live in full from start to finish, or will you mix old and new songs?

The new material will be the main focus. “Curse Of The Mind” was written as a complete journey, so we want to present as much of that experience as possible on stage. At the same time, 2026 is special because we're celebrating 20 years of “Shades Of Misery” and recently released a special anniversary vinyl edition. So it feels natural to include more songs from that record than we normally would. On top of that, there are certain Iskald classics that are simply too difficult to leave out. We have locked in some Norwegian dates already, Bodø, Oslo and Trondheim, and are looking for more shows and a full tour in 2027.

What does playing live mean for you personally? 

It's where everything comes together. You spend years writing, rehearsing and recording, but a song isn't truly alive until it's performed in front of people. There is something special about sharing that energy with an audience and seeing how different people connect to the same music in different ways. That's something you can never recreate in a studio. As a five-piece we are stronger than ever.

To wrap things up, what are your ambitions with “Curse Of The Mind”? Where do you expect it to take the band? Do you view it as a “comeback album”, as a ”game changer” maybe, or do you prioritize the artistic and emotional value of the new music over any career achievements that you might make with it?

More than anything, we want it to resonate with people. We didn't write it as a comeback album or a calculated career move. We wrote it because we had something we needed to express. The album was born slowly, then very fast. We had ideas for years, but the real birth happened when the concept became clear and we went to Strand Studio in Beiarn in the summer of 2025 and forged the whole thing in 14 intense days, live and true, no bullshit. Mixed and mastered by Hallstein Sandvin right after. If people connect with it, that's enough for us.

How do you see the future of Iskald in 5 or 10 years from now? Do you already have any ideas for a potential follow-up to “Curse Of The Mind”? 

For the first time in many years, the future feels very clear. We have a strong lineup, renewed energy and a lot of ideas. In fact, parts of the next album are already written.
Now the ritual begins. “Curse Of The Mind” is finally ready to meet the world, and right now our focus is simply on letting people experience the album before we start looking too far ahead.

Iskald on the Internet: https://www.facebook.com/iskaldofficial 

Special thanks to Luca Pessina (Anubi Press) for arranging this interview

Interview by Roman Patrashov
Photos courtesy of Anubi Press
September 21, 2026
(c) HeadBanger.ru