For over two decades, Norway’s MORK has become and remained a bastion of quality and reliability, releasing an album at least every few years. Granted, some have rang truer than others, but each has stood on its own merit for the time, and at the least warranted repeated listens. Thomas Eriksen is MORK, plain and simple, so victory or defeat rests squarely on his shoulders when it comes to Monolitt.
‘Under Vekten Av Verden’ unfurls a massive dark flag across an unforgiving storm-swept sky, cleaved by riff lightning, heaving with the thunderous rumble of Asgeir Mickelson’s (more on that later) drums. As has been the standard, the production is crisp and clean, yet easily retains the menace required in black metal of this sort. See KEEP OF KALESSIN and MELECHESH for reference points when it comes to production and mixing, each instrument given ample space, and still never intruding on the others. ‘Ødelagt’ follows, tearing forward until :038, where a strident strut takes over before returning to the original theme.
One element absent from most solitary black metal entities is the use of group or background vocals, both present in the transcendental ‘Torden’, along with choral sections that sound exactly in place alongside almost classical leadwork. I’m not sure if the above is due to lack of confidence on the part of others, but Eriksen has always lead MORK confidently, and wouldn’t have taken the mantle if unsure of himself. Still, he’s a risk taker, as evidenced by the sheer expansiveness of this track and others found on Monolitt.
I believe at least some of the willingness to step into realms uncharted under the MORK banner here has to do with extraordinaire Asgeir Mickelson, one of the most underrated drummers in metal, genre aside. Between the criminally overlooked SPIRAL ARCHITECT and BORKNAGAR’s stellar ‘00s output alone, having Mickelson at the kit has, methinks, given Eriksen (and therefore MORK) the 666% trust that that element of the sound is in capable hands, and that anything written can be performed – and perfectly.
‘Ferdamann’ winds, slithering in the shadows to curl around your ears and memory, denying chance of escape, muscle-encased scales wrapping over your mouth and eyes, captivating all senses, while ‘Martyr’ attacks from the front, a hail of sonic armaments raining down and ripping through flesh and bone. Additional vocals courtesy of MORK live member Øyvind Kaslegard also add shades and dimensions throughout the album, as in ‘Jutul’ and finale ‘Utryddelse’.
What we have, in Monolitt, is an album that lives up to its name; towering, majestic, and fear-invoking.
Review By: Lord Randall
MORK
Monolitt
Peaceville