One man bands always fascinate me. The absolute raw talent one must possess to not only write every part for their songs but then also record all those parts is truly captivating to me. They are an artist in every sense, using their tools of the trade to create the vision inside of their minds. Enter Thomas Eriksen, the one man behind the Norwegian black metal solo project Mork. Mork has been around since 2004 but it wasn’t until 2007 when we saw the first demo of the project and then it was another 6 years before the first full length saw the light of day. Ever since then, Eriksen has been churning out releases every few years. Dypet is the sixth full length album of Mork and follows up on its predecessor, Katedralen, with a similar sound of mid-tempo black metal that was very popular in the 90s. Tracks like Bortgang and Forfort Av Kulden not only have the icy atmosphere but the riffs and drums at mid-tempo give you a feeling of walking through a snow covered forest. Eriksen also incorporates some black n’ roll into his sound which we see on the track Avskum. The track has this nasty, groovy riff that keeps coming back throughout the track that I couldn’t get enough of. Don’t worry though, the track still features some icy, tremolo picking and the grim vocals that Eriksen implores throughout the album. The one thing that isn’t 90s about this album is the production. Every instrument is given a spot to shine in the mix and can be heard without straining to hear it or having to focus to hear it. The bass gives that low end rumble to push the tracks along and the vocals are out in front but not too far out to drown out the guitars or pounding drums. Final track Tilbake Til Opprinnelsen, the final track on this 8 song offering, is absolutely epic. We see some synth get added into the fold to help add to the frostbitten atmosphere of the track. The track switches from the mid-tempo in the beginning of the song to a faster paced tempo, with galloping drums, some really good bass riffing and those sinister vocals before switching back to the slower tempo. A truly epic ending to a really solid new offering from Mork. If you have been searching for some black metal to transport you back in time when Darkthrone and Satyricon were ruling the Norwegian scene, then give the new Mork a spin. You will not be disappointed in my opinion!
- The Metal Architect
