Up-and-coming Nordic doom adventurers MAUNAH unveil their first music video ‘Heimaland’ (‘Homeland’) as the first advance single taken from their forthcoming debut full-length Hjarta ("Heart"). The Danes’ first album has been scheduled for release on September 18, 2026.
MAUNAH comments: “To us, ‘Heimaland’ feels like a signature track for Maunah that captures our urge to let beauty and doom coexist”, vocalist Søren Sol Koldsen-Zederkof muses. “The song carries the feeling of belonging to a place, but it also reflects the more difficult search for a home within oneself. We have lived with ‘Heimaland’ for a long time, shaping and fine-tuning the song until it finally became as it is now. We are deeply excited to finally release it into the world and hope that you will like it as much as we do!”
AA
How on earth can any debut album sound as complete and sophisticated as Hjarta from Danish doom newcomers MAUNAH? How can a band that seemingly just appeared out of the blue deliver such a modern doom metal masterpiece?
Valid questions. The answer lies in the fact that although it is technically correct to label MAUNAH as a new band, the truth is that the members are veterans of the Danish rock, folk, and metal scenes.
MAUNAH’s popular frontman, Søren Sol Koldsen-Zederkof, has toured extensively with the beloved Nordic folk band KRAUKA, and he has also released several critically acclaimed albums under the artist’s name LOS. His fellow musicians come with experience as well. Guitarist Mads MP Laursen has, for example, played guitar with IRONGUARD and ENCYRCLE.
As it turns out, the chemistry was just right. All the stars aligned – and remarkable talent, fresh musical ideas as well as mature songwriting flowed together naturally in MAUNAH. The positive interaction of the band members became the catalyst for an alchemical transformation that turned music into sonic gold.
Although the roots of Hjarta reach deep into the melodic Scandinavian doom tradition, there is so much more happening on this album. A dash of Nordic folk here, a pinch of modern metal there, which is boosted by renowned producer Tue Madsen (THE HAUNTED, MOONSPELL, HEAVEN SHALL BURN et al.) being responsible for recording the groove parts with the Danes’ rhythm section.
With each new spin, Hjarta keeps giving as MAUNAH have crammed their album with excellent ideas and layers of details. Yet the Danes have not fallen into the trap of drowning out their own ideas by wanting too much in too short of a time. Their songs are allowed to breathe, develop cinematic moments, and unfold, before sinking captivating hooks into the ears.
That MAUNAH are a perfect example of the notion that the sum can become greater than its parts was already audible on the band’s digital EP Heimaland, which came out on June 20, 2025. Enriched versions of the songs found their way onto the debut album.
Another element that sets MAUNAH apart from their peers in doom is the absence of a lexical language. The vocals are built on tone, feeling, and rhythm – in an echo of human speech. This creates a space for a more direct connection between vocals and music that reaches beyond the limits of rational language.
In the Danes’ own poetic words: “Maunah is the sound of despair and open skies. Maunah is leaves crunching underfoot, the cold of the forest floor seeping through the soles. And Maunah is the warmth of the sun on the face and oxygen filling the lungs. In the music, the cold of winter meets the summer warmth in the chest, where Maunah pumps blood through the body and music into the air.”
With Hjarta, MAUNAH offer a remarkable debut that goes well beyond the average and exceeds expectations. How far can these Danes get? Only time will tell!
AA
Aural Aggravation 