By: Ernesto
Aguilar
Album Type: Full Length
Date
Released:
15/09/2019
Label: Relapse
Records
Rarely does a recording
embody the dynamism of heavy music, while being legitimately artful and
musically resplendent, "Mareridt," just happens to be one such album
and with it, all your expectations will be exceeded.
"Mareridt" CD//DD//LP track listing
1.
Mareridt
2.
Måneblôt
3.
The Serpent
4.
Crown
5.
Elleskudt
6.
De Tre Piker
7.
Funeral (featuring Chelsea Wolfe)
8.
Ulvinde
9.
Gladiatrix
10.
Kætteren
11.
Børnehjem
The Review:
What
metal fan hasn't had the talk with a friend, partner or acquaintance? You know the talk? It is that moment of judgment.
It is at once an inquiry of a sound as it is a question about you are as a
person. What attracts you to this howling? Implicitly, because it is less
polite, is the query: what in you is broken that prompts you to listen to this?
It
is a thematic inquiry too of course. Extreme music's foreboding images and
confrontational sound are disquieting for listeners of many other styles of
music. Like the ghosts in our stories, the specter of Tipper Gore and the Parents Music Resource
Center hangs heavy. For
every genuinely curious question, there are three value-laden ones, which probe
scarring of listeners to such noxious aural assaults.
Without
a doubt, plenty of metal is proudly noxious. The music is by its very
definition bellicose. So, when a recording appears that embodies the dynamism
of heavy music, while being legitimately artful and musically resplendent, it
is singular. Such is the case with the return of Myrkur's new release, "Mareridt."
The
one-woman project of multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Amalie Bruun, Myrkur has specialized in the classic sound of
black metal with folkloric as well as orchestral flourishes. Bruum's 2014 debut drew much praise for
its virtuosity. "M," the
2015 follow-up, saw assists from members of Mayhem, Arch Enemy and Ndingr
and received international awards. Buoyed by a live record last year, interest
in Myrkur
has only grown since "M."
You
will have every high expectation exceeded with "Mareridt," Myrkur's latest. Its title is Danish for "nightmare."
It is anything but.
With
the title track opening the new record, tinges of folk metal with its waves of
ceremony and menace wash over your mind. In addition to being a fantastic start
to the many moods you catch across 11 tracks; it is simply an impeccably
composed song. Outstanding vocals and exemplary instrumentation make it a great
beginning, lolling into crisp guitar work of the fast but understated second
wave of black metal. Like some other cuts on the recording, such as "Gladiatrix" and "De Tre Piker," the title
track sets a blueprint for a blend of metal snarling and otherworldly singing.
Many artists have employed this mode of attack over the years. Myrkur
just happens to do it exceedingly well.
Back
to the talk. To many people, this style of metal is unexpected. For a
mainstream that associates most metal with volume and corpse paint, the
variants like this will challenge opinions. Most labels and more observant fans
recognize the potential for music like this is break boundaries and attract new
audiences. Consider the regard for French act Alcest when it surged to
prominence in the mid-2000s with a black metal style that engulfed shoegaze and
pop strands at points. Having a sound that is at once bold yet divergent is a
blessing and a curse, certainly. By "The
Serpent," your internal conversation may be quite active, as you may
ponder if there is no limit, in truth. It and the following track, "Crown," are easily the most
accessible on the album. Both are appreciable for their artistry. They're also
unlikely to be considered metal by American hardcore fans or the mainstream.
Regardless these cuts, and several other moments, are sure to make you step
back, beyond extreme music, and appreciate their creativity and fearlessness.
Myrkur deserves much
praise for presenting a fully imagined release, one that goes from gauzy to
portent in the blink of an eye. From the efficaciously strong "Funeral," with
singer-songwriter Chelsea Wolfe, or the closer, "Børnehjem," a supernatural first-person
tale, Bruun is sure to prompt you,
and the friends wanting to have the talk, to think about extreme music in a
renewed way.
"Mareridt" is available here
