Myrkur – Mareridt

Label: Relapse Records, release Sept 15, 2017

This Danish artist Myrkur (alias Amalie Bruun) – classically educated singer and multi-instrumentalist – had impressed me at Tuska 2016 already. Being „the beauty and the beast“ at the same time, delivering angelic clean vocals as well as growls or Black Metal screeches. There are elements of Old School Black Metal, Folk (including the use of traditional instruments) and epic-symphonic Pagan Rock mixed together to something exciting. And the new album Mareridt provides exactly what I just tried to describe. A trip into a world where Viking hordes are still roaming the realms, where elves dance in enchanted woods. Where sounds of nature, clean soft choirs and acoustic instruments lure you into dazing off, yet those voices in the air and chant-like vocals (in various languages) also tell of dangers – and then a Blast-Beat Growl Riff hurricane blows you away. Amazing!

Maybe there is a bit more of a dreamy-melancholic Gothic feeling on the album in comparison to that what I experienced live. No idea into which genre I should put Myrkur – is it still Black / Pagan Metal? Or Progressive Folk? Or something completely different? Yet that’s the definition of quality – in my opinion Myrkur has created her own musical genre. Unpredictable, beautiful yet dangerous – just like the forces of nature. Make up your minds yourselves to find a definition when watching the Ulvinde clip below …

PS: Myrkur means „darkness“ in Icelandic , more info at myrkurmusic.com