Norwegian black metal legends LIMBONIC ART have announced ‚Arcane Past: The Celestial Grimoire‘, a massive 8-CD legacy artbook limited to 600 copies. The collection gathers all early works and includes the never-before-released ‚1994 Demo‘, carefully restored by sound archaeologist Patrick W. Engel. The artbook is scheduled for release on July 31, 2026 via Kyrck Productions and Armour.Norwegian black metal cult act LIMBONIC ART have announced the release of ‚Arcane Past: The Celestial Grimoire‘, a definitive 8-CD legacy artbook collecting the band’s complete early works. Limited to 600 copies, this 60-page hardcover edition spans the band’s foundational recordings and includes a previously unreleased live recording, the ‚1994 Demo‘, which was captured at Verdensteateret in Sandefjord and has been meticulously restored by renowned sound archaeologist Patrick W. Engel. The artbook also features an in-depth personal memoir by mastermind Vidar ‚Daemon‘ Jensen, enhanced original artwork, and rare photographs from the band’s formative years.
Founded in 1993, LIMBONIC ART released their debut album ‚Moon in the Scorpio‘ in 1996 via Nocturnal Art Productions, the label run by EMPEROR guitarist Samoth. The band’s singular fusion of harsh Nordic black metal with cinematic, orchestral arrangements proved enormously influential in the years that followed. Classic releases ‚In Abhorrence Dementia‘ (1997) and ‚Epitome of Illusions‘ (1998) further cemented their status, even as the duo gradually moved away from symphonic elements.
After officially dissolving in 2003, Daemon reformed LIMBONIC ART in 2006 and continued releasing material under the name. The band made a widely acclaimed return with their ninth full-length ‚Opus Daemoniacal‘ in 2024, deliberately echoing the dense atmospheric qualities of their early catalogue.
‚Arcane Past: The Celestial Grimoire‘ closes the circle on that era, presenting LIMBONIC ART’s collected classics and rarities on CD for the first time. The artbook is set for release on July 31, 2026 via Kyrck Productions and Armour, distributed by SPKR.
Photo: Anne Åsebø & Alexander Trinkl