(In stock late October)

It’s coming up on three long years since Phantom Spell’s debut album, Immortal’s Requiem, left the comfort of its dusty home.

Since then, only whispers have been heard — the odd rumor caught on the wind. Reports of a skulking wizard with a travelling band of roguish bards, appearing only for a fleeting moment before retiring back to the shadows of his tower. Now, the wizard returns with a new set of compositions. Hark!

Phantom Spell’s second full-length offering, Heather & Hearth, is a collection of heartfelt tales, weaving the potent nostalgia of home with vivid fantasy and cautionary storytelling. It retains all the ingredients that made Immortal’s Requiem such a tantalising listen, but adds fragility and subtlety. As the album title suggests, a folk thread is woven into the fabric of each song. Acoustic guitar moves to the forefront, no longer just a supporting role. The artful use of space in the brooding quiet sections amplifies the Hammond-fuelled uproar that follows. There is melancholy in the majesty, but hope is never lost.

Black LP