April 28 marks three years since the release of Beyond the Cenotaph of Mankind via Hammerheart Records.
The album stands as the closing chapter of Era V of Runemagick, one of several distinct cycles in a long and evolving path. It became a sealing of that era, a final breath within that form. The history of these eras and how they unfold can be explored further at https://runemagick.nirucon.se
Most of the album was recorded during 2021, with the final parts completed in 2022. A work shaped over time, moving at its own pace rather than through urgency. The sound and atmosphere were allowed to emerge gradually, as something uncovered rather than constructed.
A deep rooted gratitude to Emma, Daniel and Jonas.
Emma and Daniel stood within Runemagick through Era III and V, shaping a significant part of its path across those years. Era IV remained mostly a solitary and hidden phase during a period of dormancy. Daniel in particular stands as one of Sweden’s strongest drummers when it comes to heavy groove and feeling. Jonas was part of Era V and also present during earlier moments in the 90s. Their presence is woven into the works that carried Era V to its closing. The path was shared, and it remains.
Not long after the release, there were real thoughts that this could be the end. That the work was complete. That the runes had spoken and shown signs of a final closing.
But the weave did not fall silent.
Beneath the surface, the current continued to move. The force within the weave gathered again, subtle at first, then undeniable. The flow returned, not as it once was, but transformed. When the rune Ingwaz revealed itself, it marked a threshold. Not an ending, but a passage. A seed state, a contained force preparing to unfold.
From that point, a new cycle began to take shape.
Era VI emerged as a return to something more solitary, closer to the origin, yet shaped by everything that had come before. In its current form, Runemagick is no longer a band in the traditional sense, but an entity centered around a single member. A concentration of form that allows a deeper movement inward, guided by the same current that has always been present.
This took shape through Cycle of the Dying Sun (Dawn of Ashen Realms), released last year via Hammerheart Records and mixed and mastered by Nicklas Rudolfsson and Andy La Rocque. That album marked the true beginning of Era VI.
It stands as a long form work, where individual pieces are bound together into a larger whole. Movements shift between density and space, between weight and stillness, forming a continuous flow rather than isolated tracks. It explores transformation as something lived through, not merely described. Layers reveal themselves gradually, and repeated listening opens new depths within the same structures.
The album also brought in additional voices and textures. Lussidotter and Dísa Draugurinn contributed vocal elements, while Louvrianne Roux added dulcimer, expanding the sonic landscape without breaking the core essence. These elements became part of the unfolding rather than decoration.
Later this year, the next chapter of Era VI will surface, also to be released through Hammerheart Records and once again mixed and mastered by Nicklas Rudolfsson and Andy La Rocque. The album was fully completed just last week.
Where Cycle of the Dying Sun opened the gate, the coming work moves further into what was set in motion. It expands the same current with greater depth and presence. The connection between the albums is not a direct narrative, but a shared movement through dissolution, renewal, and awareness. What began before is carried forward, transformed, and deepened.
Dísa Draugurinn returns on the coming album with her shamanic, trance like voice across several tracks, and also contributes visual elements through her artwork within the layout. These aspects further strengthen the sense of a unified expression where sound and image move together.
This coming work is extensive. It does not reveal itself at once. It asks for presence, for time, for a willingness to enter rather than just listen. It is less about individual moments and more about the journey as a whole. It may well stand as the final era, though not bound by any fixed end.
To fully step into what is coming, it is worth spending time with Cycle of the Dying Sun, as it lays the ground and opens the space that the next work continues to explore.
Yet through all of this, the essence remains unmistakable. Runemagick persists, moving through new dimensions while staying rooted in its core.