Nazgûl

**Nazgûl** is an Italian black metal band known for weaving dark, medieval fantasy themes into their music, drawing heavy inspiration from J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendarium (their name references the terrifying Ringwraiths from *The Lord of the Rings*). Formed in the mid-1990s, they blend raw black metal with atmospheric folk elements, often using flutes, strings, and dungeon-synth-style keyboards to create an eerie, ancient vibe. Their work, like the album *De Expugnatione Elfmuth* (2002) and *Omne est paratum* (2005), feels like a soundtrack to a shadowy Middle-earth battle, mixing blast beats with melodies that sound plucked from a Renaissance fair. Tracks like *Antichrist* lean into their occult and anti-religious lyrical themes, but it’s their Tolkienesque storytelling and dungeon-crawling atmospherics that make them stand out in the underground metal scene.