There once was a forest cult, a Skogskult, and they did worship things dark and foul. That's the storyline of half of all folk horror stories and movies. There's something that resides in spirit of a forest that modernity struggles to understand. And what we don't understand, we destroy. And what we can't destroy, we worship. Hence the forest cult. That's my view anyway. SKOGSKULT the Stoner/Doom band from Umeå, Sweden may beg to differ. Or not.  Regardless of my philosophizing, SKOGSKULT released their self-titled debut album on December 5, 2025 via Bonebag Records. It comprises six tracks—48 minutes—of dark, sludgy metal that is suggestive of Occult or Pagan Doom, mostly because it's so damned down tuned and so damned fuzzy. Also, the 'skult' does cause one to think.     

Lyrically, the album is steeped in ghastly mystery from the lone man carrying a lantern, calling forth more shadows than it dispels, to the blood seeping from the stones at the edge of cliff to pacts made in the dark with the dark to the cold so intense it burns. The lyrics, of course, fuse with the primeval essence of the riffs and rhythm—which are at times glacial and vast, at times quick and sharp—to create a gestalt atmosphere of dread and unease. The vocals for their part are clean though gritty. All the words are sung in Swedish.

Though only six tracks, each one is north of six minutes, the longest over nine, with multiple compositional movements like the trees shifting the breeze, currents in the streams, shadows over time. Each track feels like its own story, and indeed they are, though linked by the common threads of Nordic folklore and Swedish nature.   

First on my standout list actually comes last on the album, "Snöblind." There's something sinister yet refreshing about this track. Sure, it's unsettling with its slow moving, light bending riffs, but it also feels weirdly uplifting. Maybe it's the warmth of the acoustic breakdown or the triumph in the rebuild that follows. Or it might just be from all the fuzz. Fuzz with its heavy Psych vibe is inherently optimistic. I mean even Occult Doom feels oddly cheerful with its nostalgic hearkening to Hammer Horror and the 60's. Fuzz makes Satan seem groovy.

At any rate, other standout tracks include "Lyktans låga" (trans: the flame of the lantern). Most of this track is classic Doom—a bit spooky, a bit languorous—until it turns downright jazzy and even Eastern. I also really enjoy "Turs" (trans: luck) for its insistent riffage made all the more interesting as it speeds up and slows down, dissected by a sloppy bass and psychedelic vocal effects.

A lot of notable extreme metal, Doom and otherwise, comes out of Umeå. SKOGSKULT keeps up the tradition with their debut album. Will be interesting to see where it all goes, further into the gloom or out towards the desert.