Ithilien is a Belgian folk metal band from Brussels established in 2005 by guitarist and vocalist Pierre Ithilien. Combining melodic death metal and metalcore with traditional folk instruments, their recording career began with the debut extended play Tribute to the Fallen (2011) and the single “Endless Horizons” (2011). The lineup expanded to include bassist Benjamin Delbar, drummer Jerry Winkelmans, keyboardist Olivier Bogaert, and bagpipe player Geoffroy Dell'Aria. They signed with the label Mighty Music and released their debut studio recording From Ashes to the Frozen Land (2013), which featured a conceptual narrative focusing on loss and perseverance. The ensemble subsequently added hurdy-gurdy player Sabrina Gelin and bagpipe player Hugo Bailly. They performed over 80 concerts internationally, including tours of Europe and Japan with Swiss folk metal band Eluveitie and tours of Europe with Icelandic Viking and folk metal band Skálmöld. In 2016, the group signed with the label WormHoleDeath and replaced their Viking-inspired stage costumes with modern attire. Following the departures of Bogaert and Dell'Aria, they released the music video for their track “Blindfolded” (2017) to showcase their new lineup, which featured violinist Myrna Mens and guitarist Tuur Soete. Ithilien released their second studio recording Shaping the Soul (2017), which adopted a style characterized as folkcore and explored the five stages of grief. After releasing the single “Edelweiss” (2018) and completing a promotional tour of Japan, the ensemble became inactive in 2018.
