Thurisaz signed with Sleaszy Rider Records starting with their third studio album The Cimmerian Years, released in May 2011. The title is a reference to the "dark period" the band had while developing the album, during which they were disrupted by changing their bassist (following the departure of Lars Vereecke in 2009, after having had a stable line-up for over ten years) and suffering from "writer's block", but the band sees the release of the album as an end to those years. The album contains stronger doom metal elements, possibly influenced by Thurisaz's tours with Novembers Doom, Saturnus, Agalloch, and Mar de Grises. It also includes guest vocals by Paul Kuhr (of Novembers Doom) and Thomas A.G. Jensen (of Saturnus). The album art was created by Dutch artist Geert van Mook, who was chosen after Thurisaz was introduced to his work by members of Mar de Grises.
