Review by Michael on May 8, 2026.

Schattenvald plays "Oberfranken Black Metal" (which means Upper Franconian black metal) since 1998. That's the information we get in the booklet. Maybe they want to distinguish with that from Bavarian Black Metal (or maybe also from Unterfranken Black Metal ("Lower Franconian Black Metal)) but for me they don't even sound too German at all. Especially the opener "Dämmertage" sounds pretty harsh, like some Darkthrone stuff from "A Blaze In The Northern Sky". Also the sound on the album is pretty much 90s and that isn't too bad, is it? At least I was pretty excited when I heard the album for the first time and I still am.

But not only good old Darkthrone comes to my mind while listening to "Alle Hernach" but also Satyricon seemed to be a big influence on the guys. Especially "Nemesis Divina" might have been an album that was spinning one or two times during the writing process back in the mid-2000s. What? Mid-2000s? Yes, you're reading correctly. "Alle Hernach" is a re-recording of their first full-length "I" from 2007 and the songs were composed between 2002 and 2006 out via the German label Solistitium Records (the label from the 90s that released legendary albums like "Grom" or "Jormundgand"). According to metal-archives it was limited to 100 pieces so this was quite a good idea. It is also featured with a new (really cool) cover artwork that catches the mood of the album quite well with an unsettling, cold and grim setting.

What is never missing is that very atmospheric approach in the music. Keyboard tunes are used a lot for this and what also comes to use quite often is a narrator who introduces the listener to the songs. By the way, the stories in the songs are about a Bavarian clairvoyant who lived in the early 19th century.

Sometimes the music is even very epic, almost cineastic and always some sort of melancholic. "Im Nachtenschein" for instance is such an example. Slow, underlined with a lot of keyboards and dragging vocals that sound hateful yet also kind of fragile this is a really sad track. Not a too big surprise if you look at the lyrics that tells us about leaving the family and being homeless.

"Alle Hernach" finishes with "Winterland (Alle Hernach)" which is another really epic and highly melodic track. This one would have been a real killer song when melodic black metal had its peak back in the mid-90s. This one is in no way inferior to works from Emperor, Satyricon, Gehenna etc. back then.

What is also quite interesting is the booklet. First of all it is created very lovely and detailed with all the frames around the pictures and silver printing. It isn't that often anymore that we get such impressive booklets to see. Also the background story of the re-release of the album is explained by Nachtsturm (the head behind Schattenvald) himself. There you can read a little bit more why the sound is so retro, the creation of the album and the band history. Oh, and why the album has such a strange title also (they are the words written on a cemetery gate). And maybe the rest of the discography will be re-released also (albums "II" – "VI" still have only numbers)?

So if you want to dig deeper into some historical atmospheric black metal from Oberfranken, "Alle Hernach" is the perfect one for you (and if it was already fall the perfect sound track for that season).

Rating: 9 out of 10