Mork – Dypet

Thomas Eriksen made us happy with the sixth album by his brainchild Mork. Although his previous album ‘Katedralen’ (2021) still feels pretty fresh, the artist wandered from it, right, he moved away quite confidently. ‘Dypet’ seems to be the same Mork and a completely different Mork at the same time. Take at least the aura of the album: if the action of ‘Katedralen’ unfolded under the banner of Black ‘n’ Roll, then it is difficult to find on ‘Dypet’ traces of this style in its purest form.

Perhaps, already the first song ‘Indre demoner’ makes it clear what ‘Dypet’ is like: a plucked riff generated by the slightly overdriven guitar is replaced by sharply distorted guitar picking in a truly Black Metal manner for sure. Yep, technically we could say that this is a Burzum-esque approach, but in fact we get some sort of Blackened Doom Metal (by the way, Mork’s Doom Metal-ish elements are preserved on ‘Dypet’, but their ranks thinned out though). You can even say that this seemingly obvious passage as such is a kind of decoy, and not true Black Metal at all.

Yes, of course, fast viscous riffs, these typical Norwegian Black Metal riffs that we will hear more than once later on throughout the album (and right there in this song), they sound properly cold, nevertheless, Mork on ‘Dypet’ is Darkthrone adapted for hipsters.

The simple truth is that Mork’s soft, charming melodies takes the listener not to cold, harsh fjords or hellish halls or whatever, but to some dreamy landscapes of some magical land: for example, a fabulous melody of the lick in the middle of the third ‘Svik’ evokes an idea of nothing less than crossbreeding of Black Metal and Synthpop. It is beyond argument that the term “poppiness” suggests itself on ‘Dypet’ even more often than on ‘Katedralen’. Yes, there is something in this music, no doubt, but too often it sounds very soft, as if cold poison was pulled out of Black Metal, turning this style not even into medicine, but into candy.

Eriksen does not aim to disturb or discommode the listener’s ears in any way. Some of his riffs end unexpectedly with a very brief, slight dissonance, you might even say that this is his “schtick” (the most obvious cases are ‘Indre demoner’ and ‘Et kall fra dypet’). Yep, this is not Deathspell Omega at all, this soft pattern won’t leave a mark on your nervous system (but at least you will notice the originality of this move). In turn, some cosmic sounds from the repertoire of Psychedelic Rock pacify and almost lull the listener: on ‘Katedralen’ this stylistic adoption was much more discreet, but here Eriksen almost plunged himself into excesses (especially on ‘Forført av kulden’, ‘Svik’, ‘Tilbake til opprinnelsen’). Sometimes even an analogy suggests itself that there is a romantic atmosphere and manner of Death SS here, but it’s better to go straight to their modernized poppy surrogate, yep, Ghost: very often Mork sounds exactly like some blackened Ghost, the most striking examples are ‘Høye murer’ and ‘Tilbake til opprinnelsen’. Right, Eriksen spares his listener.

In general, the definition of post black metal can now be applied to Mork much more often. Here are a few observations: poppy melodic guitar picking at the beginning of ‘Forført av kulden’ – oh yes, it’s beautiful, but it’s like slow torture for orthodox black-metallers; ‘Svik’, which begins with some mutilated Thrash Metal passage and then stuffs the listener with a vivacious vital riff full of beans; ‘Høye murer’ starts again with slow poppy guitar picking, then definitively develops as a Post Black Metal piece, eventually turning into an amalgam of ‘Fallen’-era Burzum, Der Blutharsch and the Infinite Church of the Leading Hand and some Post Rock pop music; in its turn ‘Bortgang’ starts with a slow Mgła-like tremolo picked prettyism – what a move, to everyone’s surprise! – well, this song could be a Black Metal-esque piece, but there’s too much Ghost vibe in its riffs, yes, it’s actually Post Black Metal.

While it’s much harder now to discern in Mork’s music a (strong) Darkthrone vibe than, you know, on the debut album ‘Isebakke’ (2013). Nevertheless, it exists. Although often manifests itself in the form of a “secondary phase”. Pure and simple, in passages in the vein of Khold/Tulus. The seventh ‘Avskum’, an almost entirely groovy piece, stands out the most of all these groovy sections (in ‘Forført av kulden’, ‘Et kall fra dypet’ – especially due to the bass line and vocal part, ‘Bortgang’, ‘Tilbake til opprinnelsen’). Besides that Tulus who love to hobnob with the alternativism (not Khold) are very noticeable here, one more Eriksen’s “schtick” is most clearly manifested in this song. Groovy rhythm is brought to the fore in the mix, while typical Black Metal tremolo picking is carefully pushed into the background. That is, true Black Metal is present, but it is hidden.

Dirty tremolos are hidden in other songs as well, most notably in ‘Forført av kulden’. Yes, although the production on the album is distinct and intelligible (but by no means polished), the lead has a very sandy sound. Needless to say, ‘Dypet’ was recorded & mixed by Eriksen himself. Well, he knows what he’s doing.

And yet there is one very Black Metal-esque song on ‘Dypet’, this is the fourth ‘Et kall fra dypet’. At least it is perceived exactly as a true Norwegian black metal piece after what happened before it. The composition is very interesting due to its components (there is even a place for Thrash Metal palm muting drivenness) and harmonious, but the suspicion creeps in after previous songs that Eriksen wants to gratify both hipsters and black-metallers. Oh, yes, of course, a true artist pleases no one but himself, but the matter is that the songs turned out to be painfully unequal. Each their own, you know. And although the picture is somewhat spoiled by the final riff, a kind of softened Norwegian Black Metal, – of course, very beautiful riff, – this is a rather tough song. Only the aforementioned ‘Avskum’ can reciprocate its vehemence, especially considering that it starts with an evil Black Metal riff.

We all know that Black Metal becomes Black Metal not least because of vocals. Vocals in Black Metal are an instrument of atmosphere. And everything is firm with the vocals on ‘Dypet’: unimpeachable Black Metal-esque. You can “hide” any kind of music behind such orthodox/canonical vocals, it will still sound like Black Metal – this is a fairly common trick in modern Black Metal and Post Black Metal. In contrast to ‘Katedralen’, Eriksen only uses clean vocals on ‘Dypet’ once, on the last ‘Tilbake til opprinnelsen’, the album’s most pompous song. Definitely, the vocals act as an element of camouflage on this album.

Summary. Eriksen fantasizes in an unusually interesting and beautiful way, you can disagree with his interpretation/adaptation of Black Metal, but it is very spectacular to listen to him. If you love beautiful soft melodies, then ‘Dypet’ is just made for you. The orthodox perception of Black Metal, of course, will prevent you from appreciating this work. But you still try.