Norrsköld have been making killer black/death for well over a decade now, shifting between which end of the spectrum they focus on in that time without ever losing an ounce of aggression or class. Regentia sees them return a bit to a more blackened sound compared to last time, but they're still about the cold austerity of the former with the muscular heft of the latter, and they're just as commanding and disciplined in their approach as ever. The songwriting is definitely more streamlined this time, which reflects this band's veteran sense of pacing and refusal to pad themselves out, but that's not to say it lacks variety or ideas. Whether it be the serrated tremolo riffs and shifting tempos of "Descension," the bleak, blackened mood and dense rhythms of "Mourningstar", or the expansive and grim yet almost triumphant "Regenesis," Norrsköld once again prove that sometimes, greatness isn't so much reinventing the wheel as it is tightening the bolts, and Regentia sees them tighter and more compelling than ever. Strong work as always.