Morkvind/Undergang/Cult of Parthenope/2021 CD Review

 

  Morkvind  are  a  solo  project  from  Sweden  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  an  atmospheric  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2021  album  "Undergang"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Cult  of  Parthenope.

  A  very  fast  and  raw  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized   they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostyl  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  When  synths  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  an  atmospheric  feeling  while  the  tracks  also  add  in  a decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  A  couple  of  the  tracks  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  On  this  recording  Morkvind  goes  for  more  of  an  atmospheric  style  of  black  metal  and  moves  away  from  the  folk  elements  of  his  previous  release.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Swedish  and  cover  Paganism  and  nature  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Morkvind  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Liv"  and  "Dod".  8  out  of  10.

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Morkvind Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?



Mörkvind is a folk black metal band, born from the spirit of the north mountains, solitude and long walks in the woods. It is ideal for walks in the hard lands surrounded by nature. We sing in Swedish, we are anchored in the northern pagan tradition of which we are proud.



2.So far you have released 2 albums, musically how do they both differ from each other?



The first publication is our demo, we wanted to try something new. Then we decided to change the style of voice in the release of the first debut album "Myrkviðr". We believe this is our best sound now.



3.So far you have released your music on Spotify or SoundCloud format, are there any plans into expanding into mp3's or physical format?



we would like to print in physical, cd or vinyl format. but for the moment we are waiting to find a good distribution partner.



4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored so far with the music?



We talk about pain and loneliness, trips in the woods and dreams in the mountains. Metaphors of our daily life. Walking on the difficult mountain trails can teach you what the difficulty is. During our travels we discover the elements of nature and the associated pagan runic tradition.



5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Morkvind'?



Means "dark wind”. This name is inspired by the cold wind that blows through the woods at night.



6.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you open to expanding the line up or do you prefer to remain a duo?



We think it will remain a duo, there may be collaborations in the future, but I don't think of new entries in line up.



7.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?



Our music liked. It can be appreciated less by those who love more extreme sounds. We understand it. Black metal fans have very strict parameters, but I think that today there are many shades of black metal compared to the 90s.



8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?



We received some proposals, but we have not signed with anyone. We are waiting to find the right label



9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?



We hope to still create music that excites. We don't care about success, we don't mind selling.

We want to create something unique.We hope to succeed in this.



10.What are some of the bands or musical style that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?



Nowadays there are many bands than in the past. I very much appreciate Myrkur, Skáld and other artists like them. But I owe everything to my idols always Satyricon, Darkthrone and Bathory, for example. As styles, we appreciate classic black metal, as well as the new folk pagan ambient music.



11.How would you describe your views on Paganism?



I see paganism as one of the most ancient religions, rich in wisdom and unfortunately lost over time. I believe it is a real contact with the land that surrounds us. I am glad that in recent years there has been a rediscovery of it.



12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have ant final words or thoughts?



Thanks for this interview. I thank everyone who appreciates our band and our music. We don't do it for money, but only for passion. Continue to follow us, there will be other publications next year.

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Morkvind/Myrkvidr/2019 Full Length Review

  Morkvind  are  a  duo  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  folk  influenced  form  of  viking  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2019  album  "Myrkvidr".

  Spoken  word  parts  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  along  with  some  clean  pagan  vocals  also  being  utilized  at  times.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  the  music  speeds  up a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  elements  of  folk  music  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording.  The  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  along  with  one  track  also  introducing  synths  onto  the  album  and  when  tremolo  picking  is  utilized  it  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  as  well  as  all  of  the  tracks  also  sounding  very  different  from  each  other.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Swedish  and  cover  Paganism.  Darkness  and  Nature  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Morkvind  are  a  very  great  sounding  folk  influenced  viking  black  metal  duo  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Nattens  Sjal"  "Vindur"  and  "Northstar".  8 out  of  10.

https://soundcloud.com/user-720974605/sets/moerkvind