(This is Daniel Barkasi’s review of a new album by the Norwegian black metal band Mork, which will be released by Peaceville Records on June 19th.)
If you don’t evolve, you can get left behind. As humans, we learn and grow as we traverse this wild journey called life. It can be similar for music, especially for bands who have been around for quite a bit of time. Norway’s Mork is a poignant example of this principle. The solo endeavor of one Thomas Eriksen, Mork has been an active project since 2004, coming forward with a debut full-length in 2013 with Isebakke. An album that was born from the influence of early ’90s second wave black metal, with classic Darkthrone being the most obvious of reflections.
Since then, Eriksen has been consistent with his productivity, releasing a total of seven albums to date under the Mork banner, while also dropping a record with his newer side quest, the blunt and direct Udåd. The progression of Mork has been a fascinating one, leaning into experimentation and spreading his proverbial wings in later efforts, beginning with Det svarte juv and taking off from that point in 2019. Retaining the tried-and-true black metal elements, but also expanding the amount of sonic directions, the distinctly personal and memorable Dypet was a true tentpole moment, taking Mork into even fresher waters. Further risks within follow-up Syv also paid off, with it being as equally distinct as Dypet, leaning much deeper into the folk characteristics than the aforementioned predecessor.
Now with Monolitt, as with all of Mork’s releases at this point, we expect the undertone of the early second wave to be present to some degree, but also don’t know what ideas will pour out of Eriksen this time around. As it turns out, the abrasiveness has been turned up more than a few ticks, and the guitars are increasingly riff-oriented, giving a bushel of earworms that perhaps make this the most balanced and irate effort to date.
Setting the tone with immediacy is “Under vekten av verden” – a quick, flamboyant piece that provides frosty, precise guitar passages amidst a black ‘n’ roll swagger. The grimy riff that begins at 3:46 is huge and catchy, penetrating my brain and thus far still not finding a way out. As per his latest releases, there’s abundant personality ingrained in the track and the album as a whole; the more personal Mork becomes, the more freeing the compositions end up, much to the album’s benefit.
Continuing on, “Ødelagt” amounts to a thunderous affront, notably dialing up the heaviness and urgency, with frenetic tremolos and dreary melodies leading the charge. Eriksen’s screams deliver the desired chilling effect, and the howls over the galloping rhythmic bits especially stick the landing. There’s even some spillage over into doom territory as the track draws to a close; unexpected, but it works.
If seeking the more direct, Mayhem-adjacent thrills, tracks such as “Torden” and the gloriously vicious “Martyrs” have you covered, while “Ferdamann” closely resembles those sounds, but also not as furious, with an Enslaved sort of hypnotic aura. The lead play is all sorts of contagious within many portions of Monolitt; “Skrømt” in particular wails away with an undeniable grimness while embracing thick melodies to offer plentiful diversity in thought and execution.
Meanwhile, “Inn i en annen saere” will assuredly be a jam for those who love a bit of folk in their black metal, whereas closer “Utryddelse” signs off in emphatic manner with infectious, hard-hitting instrumentation. Tremolos are flying, mixed with a deluge of crunch, and most of all, a biting snarl whose prominence permeates this track and Monolitt in full.
This maybe could be a symptom of recency bias – we’ll see how we feel in a couple of months time – but Monolitt is sticking with this scribe more than most of Mork’s efforts, neck and neck with Dypet, but leaning toward more refinement compositionally while conveying seriously increased levels of angst. The latter is where the difference lies, and you can hear it in the punchiness of the guitars and the tone of Eriksen’s vocals. The passion and genuine rage jump through the speakers and kick one upside the face. The production is clear and smooth, while remaining rough around the edges, serving the multitude of directions that Monolitt decides to take without losing the coarseness that’s so essential.
If you’re an established fan of Mork, we’d be shocked if there’s any disappointment in what’s presented in Monolitt. It’s a smorgasbord of everything that has made the last couple of records stand out in comparison to the rest of the project’s discography, while living within its own singularly curated ethos. Monolitt, much like the title implies, is an immense effort that bleeds style, substance, and an abundant dosage of fervor. Time will tell how this album ultimately sits come end of year, but no matter what, Mork have manifested a release that comparatively ranks near the top of Eriksen’s very best.
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