With "... by the word... ", Trelldom are pushing forward hard into their new musical era that was ushered in by the previous full-length "... by the shadows... " (2024), which ended a 17-year hiatus of the Norwegian band. Mastermind Kristian Eivind Espedal aka Gaahl and his diligently selected collaborators have gone even beyond the complex yet sinister sound that they established with "... by the shadows... ". The exponentially grown confidence and hard-gained experience of joining together seemingly quite different musicians is reflected clearly in each track of "... by the word... ". Trelldom have concluded the process of escaping the narrowest definition of black metal without compromising their artistic mission. Their music does not only stay loyal to the spirit of their black metal roots, but the Norwegians are making a solid point that their new sound is even more dark and fierce than ever before - just in more twisted and unhinged ways. "... by the word... " is the result of Espedal expanding the immense range of his vocals even further into unexplored territories. And it should be noted that this was partly achieved by his return to the famous Grieghallen Studios in Bergen to work again with legendary producer Eirik Hundvin aka Pytten, who was instrumental in the creation of the 'Norwegian black metal' sound. Trelldom continue in the tradition of all of Espedal's art, which asks to always expect the unexpected. With "... by the word... " the exploration of avant-garde dissonance, wicked rhythm patterns, and wild ideas again destroys preconceptions and demands intense listening. Better prepare to be challenged by every note!