Symbel (band)

Lore & Background

Symbel was created in 2001 by Sceot Acwealde, who handles vocals and all instruments. The band's debut CD, 'We Drink - Hymns and Counsel of Anglo-Saxon Heathenry', was released in January 2003 by Angelisc Enterprises, the label run by Forefather (now called Seven Kingdoms). Earlier demo material includes 'Heathen Drinking Metal', a 27-minute four-track demo from 2001/2002.

Reader's Guide

Symbel occupies a niche within English heathen metal, blending neopagan, anti-capitalist, and esoteric anarchist themes with folkish and romanticist nationalist beliefs drawn from Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse sources. The band's releases span from 2001 to 2014, including the 2004 10-inch vinyl 'Wet English Forests' (a re-release of selected demo material), the 2007 CD 'Ale Whores of Mercia', the 2013 CD 'Gyddigg - Possessed by the Rage of Wod', and the 2014 EP 'Hammerwych'. Later work was released by King Penda Productions and Midhir Records, with King Penda Productions making digital downloads available via Bandcamp. The band's significance lies in its fusion of extreme metal with a specific ideological and mythological framework, though its influence remains limited to underground circles.

Did You Know?

• The band's 2004 release 'Wet English Forests' is a 10-inch vinyl re-release of selected demo material.
• Sceot Acwealde performs all vocals and instruments for Symbel.
• King Penda Productions has made Symbel's releases available as digital downloads on Bandcamp.