Review: LÖMSK “Act II – Of Iron and Blood”

PorRomulo Vera

Feb 22, 2026

Following the ‘creative destruction’ of their first act, LÖMSK returns with a full-length album that sounds like Rome burning. Released via Vendetta Records, this 9-track opus is scheduled to drop on March 21st. The sound is Melodic Black Metal but hostile, produced and mixed by the band itself with an impeccable mastering by Robert Kukla. The visual identity is crowned by the artwork of German artist Chris Kiesling (Misanthropic Art), which is absolutely perfect for this album, capturing its dark essence. All this highlights ‘The Colonel’s‘ raw, visceral vocals.”

“Fields of Elysium“

The album opens with a galloping intensity. The riffs are frigid, capturing the essence of the Gothenburg sound but infused with a much filthier, blacker distortion. The lyrics speak of the search for peace in a battlefield that only offers death; “Elysium” here is not a paradise, but the eternal rest of the fallen.

Of Iron and Blood (Title Track).

An epic piece with constant tempo changes and a cinematic backdrop—bombs and echoes of war—that heightens the listener’s immersion. The lyrics focus on the inevitability of struggle and how human identity is forged in the metal of weaponry and spilled blood.

“Requiem of Fire”

Musically, the tempo slows down, leaning into a more atmospheric Black-Doom territory. The keyboards are subtle but create a sonic “smoke” layer. The lyrics are a funeral lament for a world already consumed. Fire here is not purifying, but the absolute end of modern vanity.

“Entropia”

The band returns to what they do best: chaotic and dissonant music. This track is their most experimental side, musically representing the concept of thermal disorder and degradation. The lyrics are pure Nihilism, describing the inevitable descent into a void where not even the memory of war survives.

“The Gathering Storm” (CD/Digital Exclusive)

A tension-filled interlude that prepares the ear for the album’s second half. Brief whispers speak of the inner numen and the storm gathering to sweep away the little that remains standing.

“Chimaera”

Highly aggressive Black Metal with incessant blast beats. This is the most technical track on the album. The lyrics deal with the false hopes and illusions (chimeras) that societies construct to ignore their own decay.

“Stare Into the Void”.

Melancholic melodies abound here, reminiscent of legendary bands like Dissection or Vinterland. It is the most emotionally draining piece of the album, and arguably one of the best. The lyrics invite a direct confrontation with nothingness—staring into the abyss until the abyss becomes part of oneself.

“Furia”

This is a frontal Black Metal attack: direct, violent, and uncompromising. The track deals with the blind rage of nature and man when all social structures collapse. It is the ‘prayer of violence’ previously mentioned by the band.

“The Silence Thereafter”

The perfect closure. It begins with unleashed violence and ends in a deathly silence, leaving only the echo of a solitary acoustic guitar. The lyrics explore the post-apocalypse, speaking of the silence that remains after iron and blood have done their work. The end of the cycle.

🏛️ General Summary:

Act II – Of Iron and Blood is an exercise in stoic defiance. Musically, LÖMSK has managed to balance the aggression of Black Metal with a melodic depth that never feels soft. It is a dark, dense, and profoundly honest record that positions the band as one of the pillars of contemporary Swedish extreme metal. It’s not just music; it’s the sound of a civilization collapsing. A masterpiece of sonic nihilism.