Sturmast - Nos Ipsi

Sturmast - Nos Ipsi (Sun & Moon Records, 2026)

Around 2006–2007, we were immersed up to our necks in extreme music movements. Almost everything revolved around black metal, but at the same time we kept a close eye on what new curiosities and innovations the then–peak Swedish label Cold Meat Industry would come up with.

Everything that wasn’t metal but still belonged to the realm of extreme music—noise, experimental sounds, dark ambient, and the like—more or less came from Cold Meat: Mz.412, Brighter Death Now, Mortiis, Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio, In Slaughter Natives, Raison D’Être, or the then-emerging Rome, which has since reached remarkable heights.

Into this very scene came, like a lightning strike (and that’s no exaggeration), the debut album of Hungary’s Sturmast. It was a huge achievement at the time; many people immediately took notice of Ibis Redibis Nunquam In Bello Peribis (roughly: “You will return, you will never perish in war”).

The album received excellent press, and many were already calling it a new martial industrial–neofolk classic. It drew widespread attention, and it seemed as though a serious Hungarian scene might emerge in this militant, neofolk, experimental genre—one capable of real international success. After all, Kriegsfall-U’s debut had already been released on Cold Spring, and before that there was Scivias’s now truly classic "…And You Will Fear Death Not", issued by the German Eis Und Licht label.

There were concerts, both at home and abroad, and a major international breakthrough seemed within reach—yet somehow, it all faded away.

Nearly twenty years have passed, and now here comes the new Sturmast full-length album, Nos Ipsi (“we ourselves”)—also their final record. The circle closes. It will be released soon, and without exaggeration, I can say it is one of the finest, most important, and most grandiose works in Hungarian music—be it experimental, neofolk, world music, or whatever you wish to call it.

It is a complete, perfectly constructed album. It’s not worth breaking it down into individual tracks; it truly works as a whole. The opening piece immediately sets the mood, and as the album progresses, the palpable tension steadily builds—until it culminates in its two most dramatic compositions. First Babel, then Steppenwolf cut through you like a rusted blade, and their message continues to echo in your mind days later.

Very few albums like this have been created within this musical style; in recent years, hardly any at all. Perhaps Arditi or Allerseelen have produced something comparable in mood and musical approach.

I won’t drag this out any longer—those who are interested will listen, and will pass it on to others who may have missed it so far. I trust it will find its way to the soul of every sincere and searching listener.

Alongside Nos Ipsi, the debut album will also be reissued by Sun & Moon Records, in new packaging, including two exclusive bonus tracks from the old days .

“enclosed within myself into the infinite

dancing on the edge of an abyss

seeking truth

wandering in darkness

between two paths, the fire of my soul

my passion, my suffering

cry into the wind, cry into the sky

the fire of hell, the solace of heaven”

With these two albums, we remember you, Gábor. There is no death—the soul is immortal. The creator has come to rest, and the works now set forth on their path to glory.

“The song of glory is like that of the cricket. Like the hum of bees. No magic. No sweetness. Deep, deeply monotonous and gentle.”

This article was published originally in https://dp-motiv.blog.hu/2026/03/18/taltosdal_szol, Hungarian language.

by Mirgilus, April 2026