The Reader of the Runes trilogy spanned three full studio albums – Divination, Rapture, and the recent Luna – representing a defining creative chapter for the Italian folk-metal veterans Elvenking. Rites of Disclosure is the epilogue: a carefully assembled collection of standalone digital singles that never found a physical home, two brand-new compositions, and a selection of cover songs paying homage to the artists who shaped the band’s very DNA.
The concept here is genuinely compelling. Rather than rushing headlong into the next studio album, Elvenking chose to gather up the loose ends of the Reader of the Runes era – bridging singles, session-era recordings, the two new originals, and those cover versions – and commit them all to a proper physical release. That list of covered artists alone should be enough to send any self-respecting metalhead into a quiet state of reverence: Iron Maiden, Skyclad, Bathory, Children of Bodom, King Diamond, and Venom. We are talking, quite plainly, about the foundational pillars of heavy metal across multiple decades, and Elvenking approach each one with both deep respect and a confident sense of their own identity.
The new original material carries serious weight. “Blizzards of Anger” and “Rite of Passage” are positioned as the final lyrical and musical statements within the Reader of the Runes storyline, and they wear that responsibility with remarkable grace. The former is a driving, emotionally urgent piece that showcases the signature Elvenking interplay between folk melody and hard-hitting metal aggression – the kind of track that makes you pump your fist and feel a lump in your throat simultaneously. “Rite of Passage,” meanwhile, feels genuinely ceremonial, its title entirely apt: a grand, reflective piece that signals not just the end of a narrative chapter but something of a personal artistic reckoning for the whole band.
“The Past Is Forever,” written during the Rapture/Luna sessions but making its physical debut here, is a gorgeous piece of nostalgic folk-metal that revisits the band’s earliest sound without ever feeling like a retread. There is an innocence to it that is remarkably touching – Elvenking wearing their hearts on their sleeves, and doing so with real, disarming warmth.
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Among the earlier standalone cuts, “The Moon and Magic” and “Ethel” function as narrative bridges within the trilogy’s universe, doing exactly what good bridging tracks should: illuminating the spaces between the main chapters, adding texture and depth to a story you thought you already knew.
The cover selections are, to put it plainly, a joy. The King Diamond tribute “Arrival” deserves special mention for being recorded without a click track – a deliberate choice to replicate the organic tempo of 1980s-era recordings. It sounds authentically alive in a way that modern precision can sometimes sap from a production, and it works spectacularly. The Iron Maiden cover “No Prayer for the Dying” is the stuff of pub conversations made real; Elvenking’s folk-infused sensibility adds an unexpected dimension without ever disrespecting the source material. Skyclad’s influence on Elvenking is well-documented, and their reading of “Salt on the Earth (Another Man’s Poison)” feels like a proper statement of gratitude – heartfelt and technically accomplished. The Bathory cover “Man of Iron” takes the band to grimmer, heavier territory, and they navigate Quorthon’s considerable shadow with assured confidence. Children of Bodom’s “Children of Decadence” is where the more melodic death-tinged side of the band’s influences gets its moment, executed with real flair and energy.
Then there’s Venom’s “Prime Evil,” saved for the finale… and what a finale it is. Featuring original Venom vocalist Tony “Demolition Man” Dolan alongside the inimitable Snowy Shaw on drums, this is a supergroup moment hiding in plain sight inside a covers collection. Absolutely ferocious and utterly irresistible, it sends the whole release out on a high that few artists could match.
The care taken gives Rites of Disclosure a layered, considered quality that feels purposeful at every turn. The core new material, recorded in 2025, sits seamlessly alongside the older pieces, which speaks volumes about how consistent Elvenking’s artistic vision has remained throughout this era.
It would be easy to dismiss this as a stopgap or a collector’s curio – something for the devoted while the band prepares whatever comes next. That framing would be deeply unfair. Rites of Disclosure is a rich, emotionally resonant, and often thrilling release in its own right, one that demonstrates the full scope of a band that has spent decades quietly mastering their craft.
This is not Elvenking storming back with a headline-grabbing studio statement – it is something considerably richer and more personal than that: a ceremonial closing of the books on one of the most creatively sustained sagas in modern folk-metal history. A glorious farewell to one chapter – and a tantalising promise of whatever comes next.
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Rites of Disclosure is out on May 22nd
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