MORK’S BLACKENED 2007 RELEASE ‘ROTA TIL ONDSKAP’ RECEIVES OFFICIAL CD RELEASE FOR FIRST TIME – OUT NOW
THE EARLIEST RAW RECORDINGS OF THE TITANS OF NORWEGIAN BLACK METAL, INCLUDING EXCLUSIVE BONUS MATERIAL FOR THIS CD EDITION
Mork’s Rota Til Ondskap is a collection of raw, unfiltered demo tracks that pay homage to the pioneers of Norwegian black metal. Originally recorded in 2007, these early and primal works capture the formative stages of Thomas Eriksen’s creative vision for Mork, embodying the raw energy and atmosphere that would define the band’s sound.
Previously available only on vinyl and bootleg CD release, Rota Til Ondskap is now officially released on CD for the first time. Drawing inspiration from black metal icons, Eriksen’s compositions channel the spirit of the genre’s early days. The release is characterised by his distinctive take on black metal riffing, twisted melodic passages and an atmosphere of thick, hellish chaos.
Mork – Rota Til Ondskap
INCLUDES THREE ADDITIONAL TRACKS FROM THE ‘ROTA TIL ONDSKAP’ SESSIONS, PLUS AN ADDITIONAL FIVE TRACKS FOR THIS RELEASE, INCLUDING RE-RECORDED VERSIONS OF THE ‘FORTID OG FREMTID’ EP TRACKS, AS WELL AS TWO TRACKS FEATURING 2024 STEREO MIXES
MORK’S SUPERBLY BRUTAL NEW ALBUM ‘SYV’ OUT NOW
The new album from Norwegian black metal monsters Mork is out today on Peaceville. The album, titled Syv, was written, performed and recorded entirely by Mork mastermind Thomas Eriksen. Alongside the release of the album today, Mork have shared an animated video by Matt Vickerstaff that hearkens back to the brutality of days gone by. About the video, Eriksen said “How to settle an argument or a feud in the old days, fight til death. Two men on a small isle. The boat will only carry one man back. A historical theme wrapped in a simple and yet traditional sounding soundscape. Holmgang!”
“No-nonsense Norwegian black metal…You can expect Mork to serve up a plate of grimness with a side of more grim, but there’s also a more involved intricacy to these tracks”
METAL HAMMER
“Mork have enough nifty twists of their own to make them stand out. Which, given how far they are into their tenure at black metal’s mill, and that this is mainman Thomas Eriksen’s second album on which he plays everything this year, is to be commended”
KERRANG
“”Syv” is bursting with fresh ideas, yet sounds familiar and demonstrates the compositional grandeur of the busy Norwegian”
13/15
MUSIK REVIEWS
“outstanding musical maturity and growth… one of the standout black metal records of 2024”
9/10
METAL INJECTION
“one of the greatest sounding black metal albums that will surely grace all fans’ record collections very soon”
9/10
BOOLIN TUNES
75/100
METAL HAMMER (IT)
“a very entertaining album”
80/100
AARDSCHOK
SYV IS OUT NOW ON BLACK VINYL GATEFOLD LP, CREAM WHITE VINYL GATEFOLD LP, JEWEL CASE CD WITH 12-PAGE BOOKLET AND DIGITALLY
MORK’S NEW SINGLE ‘HEKSEBÅL’ OUT NOW
Following the announcement of their new album Syv and the release of the wonderfully brutal first single ‘Utbrent’ last month, Norwegian black metal masters Mork are back today with their latest instalment of filth and misanthropy, ‘Heksebål’. An epic and progressive piece journeying back to the old times of judgment, fear and witch burning, ‘Heksebål’ arrives alongside a haunting new video by Matt Vickerstaff.
When asked about the new single, Mork creator, frontman and mastermind Thomas Eriksen said “A depiction of mankind destroying what they don’t understand. Witch-hunts and witches at the stake burned to a crisp. Probably one of the more progressive songs with spellbinding riffs of witchery. May the spell curse those in doubt to a lifetime of bad luck and misery!”
SIGNED + NUMBERED COPIES OF BLACK VINYL, CREAM VINYL AND CD AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY THROUGH THE OFFICIAL MORK STORE
MORK ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM ‘SYV’ (20 SEPTEMBER) AND SHARE FIRST SINGLE ‘UTBRENT’
A DEEP, INNOVATIVE & ECLECTIC CONCOCTION OF NORTHERN MAJESTY, FOR THE SEVENTH STUDIO OPUS IN THE MORK SAGA, AS THE BAND MARKS THE MILESTONE OF TWENTY YEARS OF EXISTENCE
Black metal legends Mork have announced their new album Syv today, set for release on 20th September on Peaceville. Alongside the news, the band have shared the album’s first single ‘Utbrent’. Speaking about the new single, Mork creator, frontman and mastermind Thomas Eriksen said “Utbrent is a depiction of getting burnt out and the struggle of holding oneself standing. Even whilst silently knowing the day will actually come and break you down…the harsh punishment of living as life breaks you down and burns you out”. Watch the new video for Utbrent by Matt Vickerstaff here –
SYV WILL BE RELEASED ON BLACK VINYL GATEFOLD LP, CREAM WHITE VINYL GATEFOLD LP, JEWEL CASE CD WITH 12-PAGE BOOKLET AND DIGITALLY ON 20 SEPTEMBER
SIGNED + NUMBERED COPIES OF BLACK VINYL, CREAM VINYL AND CD AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY THROUGH THE OFFICIAL MORK STORE
UPCOMING SHOWS:
24 August 2024 – Kaltenbach Open Air, Spital Am Semmering, Austria
14 September – Royal Metal Fest, Aarhus, Denmark
21 September – John Dee, Oslo, Norway (SYV release show)
28 September – The Bell Festival, Enebakk, Norway
12 October – California Deathfest, Los Angeles, USA
30 January -> 2 February – 70.000 Tons Of Metal, Miami, FL – Ocho Rios, Jamaica
“Dypet” (released March 2023)
The Norwegian winds blow once more and usher in the new era of MORK
in the form of their new sixth album ‘Dypet’ out now!
‘Dypet’ track listing:
- Indre Demoner [6:15]
- Forfort Av Kulden [5:20]
- Svik [5:16]
- Et Kall Fra Dypet [7:31]
- Hoye Murer (Feat HJELVIK) [6:41]
- Bortgang [5:49]
- Avskum [4:44]
- Tilbake Til Opprinnelsen [6:15]
Following the release of 2021’s ‘Katedralen’ MORK returns this year with a new opus – ‘Dypet’, which is out now on Peaceville Records.
‘Dypet’ sees MORK create a miasma of grim and frost-bitten riffs and harsh vocal melodies, marking the next logical evolution to come from the brilliant mind of Thomas Eriksen. The album simultaneously pushes new ideas forward yet still retains the signature foundations of ice cold hypnotic Black Metal.
Thomas Eriksen comments “It is with great pride that I am able to present and experience the release of my sixth full length album. I put every single drop of myself into the process of shaping MORK’s music. Perhaps even more so with this new album. As the album title, which translates to “The Deep”, something from the depths has been brought to the surface, “Dypet” was inspired by my life over the last couple of years, the thoughts, feelings, passion and the evolving of creative free will. Dive in and let yourself sink into the abyss. “
The album also features a special guest appearance from HJELVIK, the former singer of fellow Nordic legends Kverlertak, on ‘Hoye Murer’. It also delves into the world of analog synth’s adding a different but no less hellish soundscape to MORK’s palette.
‘Dypet’, Norwegian for ‘abyss’ promises to ring true to its name delivering eight brand new tracks that feature Thomas Eriksen’s signature Black Metal howls and caustic guitars. The album was once more performed, recorded and mixed by Eriksen with engineering assisted by Freddy Holm whilst mastering was carried out by Jack Control at Enormous Door (Darkthrone).
David Thiérrée also makes his return now on his third collaboration with MORK. His artwork that has become just as synonymous with MORK’s sound. The piece is inspired by the album’s theme of “Draugen/Cthulhu”; also featured within the art is a crest created by Jannicke Wiese-Hansen.
‘Dypet’ will be released on the following formats which are available to order here: https://mork.lnk.to/dypet
- CD (Digipak)
- Limited edition silver coloured vinyl LP in a heavy-duty gatefold sleeve
- Black LP in a heavy-duty gatefold sleeve
- Digital
MORK RELEASE DEN SVEVENDE FESTNING
SIX TRACKS OF RAW AND ATMOSPHERIC NORWEGIAN BLACK METAL, FEATURING EXCLUSIVE STUDIO AND LIVE MATERIAL
LIMITED-EDITION VINYL EP – OUT NOW
A.1. Den Svevende Festning [04:47]
A.2. Ormtunge [05:43]
A.3. Fodt Til A Herske (Med Strykere) [06:30]
B.1. Arv (live) [05:54]
B.2. Det Siste Gode I Meg (live) [05:14]
B.3. Svartmalt (live) [04:19]
The Den Svevende Festning vinyl EP features six tracks and over 32 minutes of raw and atmospheric Norwegian black metal, most notably containing exclusive and unreleased material recorded during the Katedralen album sessions, in the shape of the title track (also the theme for the cover image, an old drawing of Fredriksten Fortress in Eriksen’s home-town of Halden), and ‘Ormtunge’. Side A is completed by the alternate arrangement of the track ‘Født Til Å Herske’, previously only available digitally. Side B contains a selection of live tracks from Mork’s recent shows, featuring a series of tracks from the Katedralen opus.
Thomas Eriksen comments “Seems we got a tradition going by now, with an EP between each album. I can get use to that! I like the format which allows us to do something a bit different and play around with the material, with albums we obviously need to be more strict.
This time I had a couple tracks left over from the Katedralen sessions. The title track “Den Svevende Festning” was always one that I liked and was actually only cut due to the album length. It’s fitting having its own EP dedicated to it. “Den Svevende Festning” is a tribute to my hometown of Halden with its majestical Fredriksten Fortress which hovers above the city in the skyline. It’s powerful and a good cannonball in the face!”
Check the band’s performance of “På Tvers Av Tidene” which featured on their 2019 album Det Svarte Juv.
MORK – KATEDRALEN – out now
Their fifth album of Black Metal Supremacy features guest appearances from members of Darkthrone, Kampfar & Skepticism
Katedralen tracklisting
- Dodsmarsjen [04:57]
- Svartmalt [04:19]
- Arv [05:26]
- Evig Intens Smerte [06:58]
- Det Siste Gode I Meg [05:11]
- Fodt Til A Herske [06:33]
- Lysbaereren [05:10]
- De Fortapte Sjelers Katedral [09:28]
Following on mercilessly from 2020’s aptly titled ‘Pesta’ EP, Norwegian act Mork resumes its ascension through the ranks of the Scandinavian black metal scene with the fifth chapter, Katedralen, venturing ever further from the more primal early Darkthrone-based foundations, while still fundamentally keeping the grim flame of the old school in its DNA.
Katedralen is undoubtedly Mork’s most accomplished work to date, pushing new creative frontiers with a more dynamic approach to the song composition and an expanded breadth to the riffs and melodies, weaving a new masterpiece, the result, is a true personal work of intense spiritual catharsis from main-man Thomas Eriksen, he explains “The path I have walked from the first album up to this current day has been much needed for me to really find myself and what Mork is. The album has everything I want in an album, grooves, harshness, grandiosity, sadness, beauty and power. No rules, other than to respond to what comes out of my mind and soul while creating.”
The concept behind the album title Erikson continues, “‘Katedralen’ (cathedral) is actually an old one I’ve had laying around since the early days of Mork. I always had a vision of a vast desolate cold and dead land and a gigantic cathedral where lost souls are kept for all eternity. I remember fantasizing it being a concept EP, I suppose much like ‘Det Svarte Juv’ was envisioned back in the day. However, that one did not end up as a concept album. ‘Katedralen’ is not a concept album either, but I see now that all the tracks tie neatly together after all. In the end all the lost souls ends up at the base of the massive cathedral.
‘Katedralen’ was performed, recorded by Eriksen at Likkjelleren Studio and mixed by both him and Freddy Holm at Kleiva Studio, with mastering once more carried out by Jack Control at Enormous Door (Darkthrone). The album also notably includes guest appearances from Nocturno Culto of labelmates Darkthrone, Dolk of fellow countrymen Kampfar, & finally Eero Pöyry of doom masters Skepticism.
Thomas expands on the significance of the special guests “To be able to include Eero Pöyry on the album is a big deal for me. As it ties it all together with me discovering the darker and more extreme depths of metal back in the beginning. At the same time I found Black Metal, I also stumbled into Funeral Doom, which also made an lasting impression on me. I will never forget the overwhelming feeling of emptiness and hopelessness I got when listening to Skepticism for the first time. Since my vision of “Katedralen” has to do with large and vast desolation and feelings, it is absolutely perfect having Eero putting his touch on this piece of my personal history and creation. I am forever thankful.
I have to say it is a great honor to include yet again my good friend Nocturno Culto. The track we picked is just as fist-in-the-face enough to suit his contribution perfectly. It’s become our duet of pessimistic black metal purity. Great man and a total legend.
When Dolk and I got together to figure out which track to consider, I didn’t know really what to expect, since I’ve never worked with the man. I do know his great skills in Kampfar, obviously. But when he got down with it and did his thing on «Født Til Å Herske», I was convinced instantly. His parts made the song. Genius. “
The suitably stark artwork once again appears courtesy of revered French artist David Thiérrée.
Katedralen is undoubtedly their most accomplished work to date, pushing new creative frontiers with a more dynamic approach to the song composition and an expanded breadth to the riffs and melodies, weaving a new masterpiece, that has been received to great acclaim by worldwide media and fans alike.
‚a powerful album’ Metal Hammer (DE)
‘this is their best album yet’ 9/10 – Ave Noctum
‘Mork’s latest is a must listen’ 9/10 – Metal Trenches
‘this album contains real black metal gems’ 4.5/5 – Metallian
‘Without a doubt this album is essential listening’ Metal Talk
‘if you’re after some classic, unpretentious Norwegian black metal, it’ll hit the spot’ The Quietus
‘Mork delivers us their best album, and probably one of the best black metal albums of the last few years!’ 4.5/5 All Rock
‘I truly could not recommend this more’ – 9/10 Metal Temple
“Katedralen is a powerful devastating masterpiece!.” 9/10 – La Grosse Radio
Mork was created by Thomas Eriksen in 2004 & was primarily a side-project from inception until the debut album, ‘Isebakke’, in 2013. Since then the band has rightly earned their accolade as one of the top Norwegian black metal acts of recent years, receiving strong endorsements from their peers.
Katedralen is available on CD, gatefold black vinyl LP and digitally, through to order HERE
Dypet
Katedralen
Det Svarte Juv
Eremittens Dal
Pesta
