This album starts out with “Mareridt”. One thing Amalie has gotten just better and better at over the years is making unbelievable atmospheres. I mean the way her voice pierces this thick veil of darkness is absolutely mesmerizing. You really don’t get to hear Amalie hitting these ridiculous high notes too often, and it’s fantastic to hear. I actually am seriously loving this as an intro. “Mareridt" has such a mystic vibe to it, with some great World Folk influence thrown in as well, which is something that I’ve always hoped Amalie would always incorporate into Myrkur. Overall this track is really well done, and it really sets the mood for a true Black Metal album. And while “Mareridt" might sound delicate, this beefy dark veil of an atmosphere makes this one gigantic. I’m also loving every aspect of this very “Dark Fantasy” vibe to this opener. Yes please, more of this. Now because this album starts off with such a strong atmosphere, “Måneblôt” seriously catches me off guard. I’ve never really heard Amalie coming off so absolutely evil with her delivery. On the other hand, her verses continue to be breathtaking beyond belief. “Måneblôt” is what Myrkur fans showed up for, between these incredibly intense and devilish Black Metal vocals with Amalie’s almost heavenly vocals floating through it all like she was some Angel of Death. Then we have the inclusion of these Folk and World Music influences once again, which I really couldn’t be happier to hear. It really sets Amalie apart, and I don’t really care how manufactured or “perfect” this comes off, I think she’s doing a good job. Then we have the last minute or so where every intense instrumental burst it’s way back in. “Måneblôt” is absolutely soul-crushing. But Amalie’s soaring vocals, especially in that last minute are absolutely breathtaking. Then we have “The Serpent” which shows Amalie branching out once again, this time much more int he Doom Metal direction. Now, Amalie, I love what you’re doing on this album, but this is not a good sound by any means. These chugging guitars make me feel like I’m listening to literally the most lackluster and most bland Deftones track ever recorded. Not to mention, the production on this track has gone seriously south. Like, a few short minutes ago the atmosphere was so beefy and indestructible. On “The Serpent”, it just sounds flimsy and like it could fall apart at any moment. I do however love Amalie’s very haunting and melodic vocals on this one that does save the track. Hell, her vocals do more for the atmosphere on this one than anything. I just think this track overall just isn’t flattering, and I do usually encourage her to branch out. “Crown” however immediately sounds almost like we’re dealing with a completely different artist. The atmosphere on this track is just so elegant and beautiful, and Amalie sounds more haunting than ever. It’s funny, in a way I’ve always looked at her as Black Metal’s Lana Del Rey. On “Crown”, she practically sounds like she’s doing an impression of her, take that as you will. But these epic instrumentals and soaring vocals make this track as big as other Myrkur tunes easily. This album so far is more than just another Myrkur project. This is Amalie Bruun really branching out. Moments like this go almost into Chamber Pop territory with an insanely dark twist. And call me crazy, but I love it. Not to mention, “Crown” really doesn’t rest until it’s over. This one literally just gets bigger and bigger, and Amalie’s performance continues to get more and more grand. And yes, while I do sort of wish this maybe had SOME Metal influence, I think it works well still.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eS2zbtUFzU
Now for all of my Black Metal enthusiasts, you’ll be happy to know “Elleskudt” instantaneously is much more explosive and more Black Metal oriented. I continue to be so perplexed by Myrkur’s music, and the clashing of just how intense some of these instrumental is, followed by some of the most angelic vocals on the market. I do feel like this track is a little messy though, just a little. On “Elleskudt” Amalie sounds like she's trying to really bring in a slew of all of these metal sounds all at once. And for a few moments, it does get a little jumbled. But this track still has plenty to like, like the sheer majesty of all of these sounds, and how vicious Amalie sounds at points. It’s certainly a lot to take in. But holy HELL is this still a track you need to hear. The only reason I’m not completely sold on this one is just how the complete package does falter a little bit. Meaning, her soaring vocals are in their own hemisphere completely on “Elleskudt” above the thrashing. Usually, they’re on the same level completely. Up next is “De Tre Piker”, and what even is this track? I ask that in the best possible way. To be honest, I feel like this is the sound that she should be clinging to completely. The very thick atmosphere is back, and her singing by herself in the center of this atmosphere is breathtaking. It brings in that unbelievable clash of styles that I crave. But let’s talk about this atmosphere because it is DARK. And no, I’m not talking “sort of” dark. I’m talking Haxan Cloak level of darkness. Some of these bass drops in the background are ridiculous, so overall hell YES this is a good sound for her. That very mystical sound is back with a vengeance, and I’m absolutely dying for Amalie’s focus on the atmosphere. Once again, I feel like some people are going to be a little ticked off by this, having almost no metal influence. But I think this track has all of Amalie’s strengths. Then we have a track that I was VERY excited to hear, “Funeral” featuring the incredible Chelsea Wolfe. These are two of my favorite ladies in all of the metal, and here they are together. Now, obviously, since Chelsea is present this track has a HUGE Doom Metal sound that I absolutely love. But on “Funeral” it comes off very classy and polished. If you’re into very dreary and sludgy metal, this track is a must listen. Both ladies sound so damn haunting, and I love the very ethereal atmosphere to all of this. This is also easily one of the most epic and grand performances here. Like, some of these crescendos are absolutely monumental. I really couldn’t have asked for much more out of “Funeral” to be honest. It’s a little on the short side, but it’s’ seriously brilliant. “Ulvinde” is up next, and it may be the most straightforward Black Metal track we’ve heard so far. In every way, this track sounds like something from Myrkur’s last album, just polished up a bit. But as absolutely Black Metal these instrumentals are, these verses are 100% out of the book of Doom Metal. There’s also that really cool Folk Metal twist that she’s been spinning on a lot of these tracks returning here as well. Overall, “Ulvinde” is easily the most volatile track here. Amalie’s screams are her most tortured and most vicious I’ve possibly ever heard from her. And when things go back to normal at the end, we get even more angelic vocals and even bigger production. I can’t help but sit here with my mouth open and be stunned honestly.
“Gladiatrix” doesn’t take long at all diving deep into the atmosphere. But to be honest, I’m really not feeling these vocals at all here. They aren’t nearly as ethereal and beautiful as usual. And when they do pick up to their normal degree of beauty, the instrumental that follows isn’t as effective as usual. I do like elements of “Gladiatrix”, like the Folk Metal roots that Amalie keeps teasing she’ll dive headfirst into. But overall this one is just not nearly as concise and well thought out as other tracks here. On the other hand, “Kætteren" is exactly where I want to hear Myrkur. The Folk Elements continue to be so strong, mostly because they’re just so different to the Metal genre right now. Not even Panopticon in their prime was diving THIS deep into folk. But the legitimacy of this alongside the very Dark Ambience of this album is just so powerful. And while you can argue it’s the furthest thing from Metal, which you wouldn’t be wrong in saying, “Kætteren" fits in with the album. For a 2-minute instrumental, it does its job, creating a dark atmosphere that can’t be broken. This album ends off with “Børnehjem”, which starts out fine, sounding seriously dark as ever. But what the hell is the rest of this nonsense? This atmosphere, this truly twisted atmosphere is wasted on this absolutely trash? What follows is a bizarre monologue sounding something out of “Carrie” or some other horror classic. And I do understand that it’s supposed to add to the feel of the album. But it’s nearly laughable, and really makes this finale hard to take seriously.
Rating: 7.9/10
Give A Listen To: "Måneblôt", "De Tre Piker", "Funeral", "Ulvinde"
Genre: Black Metal / Doom Metal / Folk Metal / Dark Ambient / Super Dark Chamber Pop
If You Dig This, Check Out: Myrkur - "M", Chelsea Wolfe - "Pain is Beauty", Panopticon - "Roads to the North"
Overall Thoughts: Ughhhh I WANTED TO LOVE THIS ALBUM SO MUCH. Amalie has so much talent and she's been getting such a bad reputation recently. And there are UNBELIEVABLE tracks on here, some of her best by far. Not to mention, her breaking out into new territory like Folk Metal and Doom Metal is very much welcomed. But there are a handful of tracks on here that show Amalie isn't the best with song structure and is still working out some kinks in production. But with each release, Myrkur gets closer and closer to stringing together a truly great Black Metal record, and it's closer than ever. I still can't wait to see what she does next.
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