More than 30 years after its formation, Taake is heading back on the road.
The long-running Norwegian black metal band has announced the En Skog Av Nidstang European Tour, a run of dates that will support its upcoming ninth studio album of the same name. The trek begins with a festival appearance in Germany before taking the band across Scandinavia and mainland Europe through September.
The newly announced itinerary includes stops in Germany, Sweden, Norway, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Slovenia, Italy, the Netherlands, and Belgium, with additional festival appearances scheduled along the way. The tour launches at Full Rewind Festival in Roitzschjora, Germany, on July 31 before continuing through cities including Stockholm, Berlin, Bologna, and Amstelveen.
The tour coincides with the release of En Skog Av Nidstang, which arrives July 31 via Dark Essence Records. The four-track album follows 2023’s Et Hav av Avstand and was previewed by the lead single “Einstoeingen og Eg.” According to the band, the new record continues Taake’s tradition of balancing black metal’s raw foundations with an evolving, deeply personal songwriting approach.
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“Something so deeply personal should be performed in its entirety solely by the person who is the source of it all,” Hoest told Metal1 in 2024. “I have a very clear vision for my expression and am not willing to make compromises in the studio.”
Founded in 1993 by frontman Hoest, Taake has become one of Norway’s most enduring black metal acts. Known for weaving traditional Norwegian black metal together with folk influences, melodic passages, and progressive arrangements, the band has built a devoted international following through albums including Nattestid Ser Porten Vid, Hordalands Doedskvad, and Noregs Vaapen.
Despite more than three decades in the genre, Taake has remained fiercely independent, with Hoest continuing to serve as the project’s creative force. That consistency has helped the band maintain its reputation as one of black metal’s most respected and uncompromising names while continuing to evolve with each release.
“I am blessed to be accompanied by dedicated and loyal musicians, who make it their priority to be available for most [live performances],” Hoest told Valencia ‘N’ Metal. “Two members of the current line-up have been with me for almost 20 years. Very rarely have we chosen to include a stand-in musician when someone is unable to join an important concert or tour.”
With a new album arriving at the end of the month and a lengthy European tour now on the calendar, 2026 is shaping up to be one of Taake’s busiest years in recent memory. For longtime fans, the newly announced dates offer another opportunity to experience one of Norwegian black metal’s defining bands as it begins its latest chapter.
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