Myrkur, the wonderful Danish Norn, is back with a new album. After the breakthrough made last year with the self-titled debut album, which was also highly acclaimed, the nymph of the northern forests brings out a new album simply titled with the rune for M. Myrkur is probably the artist who more than anyone else has brought a breath of freshness and above all of femininity in the black metal scene in recent years.
Myrkur is a gifted multi-instrumentalist, particularly skilled as a singer and as a pianist. Her music is alive with magic and recounts in a unique way the allure and mystery of nature and mythology. Her angelic and siren voice is really able to bewitch every listener. Myrkur impressed these trademarks on her art since her first album. The new M builds on the previous one, but it has some new elements. I think the biggest innovation is a certain harshness that Myrkur did not use to have before; it struck me that many riffs have a thrashy approach, which clashes a bit with the overall dreamlike atmosphere of the album. The clearest example is “Mordet”. Of course Ulver are a model for Myrkur, but “Onde børn” is particularly reminiscent of a tune from Bergtatt. Perfect production, perfect sound, it is impossible to criticize this album. The themes of the lyrics revolve mostly around mythology and nature.
Myrkur remains however superior in my opinion; M shows some imperfection and is perhaps less engaging, but it is still a masterpiece. So let yourself be enchanted and captivated by the magic of Myrkur and support!
Notes:
Release date: August 21 2015 on Relapse Records. Myrkur means ‘darkness’ in Old Norse.
Tracklist:
1. Skøgen skulle dø
2. Hævnen
3. Onde børn
4. Vølvens spådom
5. Jeg er guden, i er tjenerne
6. Nordlys
7. Mordet
8. Byssan lull
9. Dybt i skoven
10. Skaði
11. Norn
Personnel:
Myrkur: vocals, guitars, bass
Session musicians:
Håvard Jørgensen: guitars (acoustic)
Teloch: guitars (additional), bass
Øyvind Myrvoll: drums
Ole-Henrik Moe: íslensk fiðla, Hardingfele, Violin
Tone Reichelt: horn
Martin Taxt: tuba
Christopher Amott: guitars (additional) (track 7)
Text by Herjann
herjann@unholyblackmetal.com
Myrkur is a gifted multi-instrumentalist, particularly skilled as a singer and as a pianist. Her music is alive with magic and recounts in a unique way the allure and mystery of nature and mythology. Her angelic and siren voice is really able to bewitch every listener. Myrkur impressed these trademarks on her art since her first album. The new M builds on the previous one, but it has some new elements. I think the biggest innovation is a certain harshness that Myrkur did not use to have before; it struck me that many riffs have a thrashy approach, which clashes a bit with the overall dreamlike atmosphere of the album. The clearest example is “Mordet”. Of course Ulver are a model for Myrkur, but “Onde børn” is particularly reminiscent of a tune from Bergtatt. Perfect production, perfect sound, it is impossible to criticize this album. The themes of the lyrics revolve mostly around mythology and nature.
Myrkur remains however superior in my opinion; M shows some imperfection and is perhaps less engaging, but it is still a masterpiece. So let yourself be enchanted and captivated by the magic of Myrkur and support!
Notes:
Release date: August 21 2015 on Relapse Records. Myrkur means ‘darkness’ in Old Norse.
Tracklist:
1. Skøgen skulle dø
2. Hævnen
3. Onde børn
4. Vølvens spådom
5. Jeg er guden, i er tjenerne
6. Nordlys
7. Mordet
8. Byssan lull
9. Dybt i skoven
10. Skaði
11. Norn
Personnel:
Myrkur: vocals, guitars, bass
Session musicians:
Håvard Jørgensen: guitars (acoustic)
Teloch: guitars (additional), bass
Øyvind Myrvoll: drums
Ole-Henrik Moe: íslensk fiðla, Hardingfele, Violin
Tone Reichelt: horn
Martin Taxt: tuba
Christopher Amott: guitars (additional) (track 7)
Text by Herjann
herjann@unholyblackmetal.com