Review: Mork ‘Dypet’
Formed in 2004, the Halden-bound ever-prolific one-man act Mork, aka Thomas Eriksen, ventures back again into the misanthropic wilderness with his sixth full-length entitled Dypet, that’s out now via Peaceville Records (of Darkthrone and Aura Noir fame, to name a few). It was mastered by Jack Control from Enormous Door, who also has previously worked with the legendary Darkthrone, while the engineering was assisted by Freddy Holm.
Proceeding the legacy of Mork’s previous full-length Katedralen, it is discernible enough that Dypet bears some significant, distinctive differences from Mork’s earlier materials as this album appears to diversify its influences. There are some Satyricon vibes that I can sense on this album, and a bit of Emperor-esque elements as well, albeit Mork is a bit slower in pace. This meticulously crafted forty-eight-minute full-length features a generous amount of synth performances, and incorporates various kinds of nuances altogether; such as retro-inspired vibes as well as punkish elements.
The major themes of this album happen to be death, betrayal, hate, inner demons, and misanthropy – but Mork also incorporated influences from H. P. Lovecraft’s works to be the foundation for the album’s integral themes; the Lovecraftian influence that Mork incorporated into Dypet is precisely about Cthulhu Mythos, only that it appears to have a bit of twist, where elements of Norwegian lore are also combined. As a result, the album tells the tale of a cult on the coast that worships a mythical sea ghost called Draugen – coming straight from the myths of the North, where Mork resides. French visual artist David Thiérrée managed to profoundly depict the trajectory of the Lovecraftian theme that Mork instilled in this album, by creating a subliminal album artwork closely aligned with the Draugen/Cthulhu theme aesthetics.
Definitely worth the forty-eight minutes of a trance-like state-inducing listening experience…
Not only limiting the soundscapes around the black metal spectrum, Mork manages to successfully implement folk-ish sounds into the track Svik, which also features clean vocals. Aside from those ethereal sounds, there are also tracks like opener Indre Demoner, which lean more on heavy distortions and suspense, as well as Avskum which is vehemently fast-paced and aggressive. Høye Murer is especially spectacular as it features Hjelvik (ex-Kvelertak) on vocals. Et Kall Fra Dypet helps build the Lovecraftian atmosphere of this album the most while Tilbake Til Opprinnelsen will instantly bring the listeners into a cosmic journey. Although Forført Av Kulden remains my personal favourite, with its intricate themes surrounding the force of cold, omnipresence, and death.
This anthemic full-length speaks of many major themes but the one surrounding the fascination towards death and the dark is what enthrals me the most. Definitely worth the forty-eight minutes of a trance-like state-inducing listening experience.
Label: Peaceville Records
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Scribed by: Ralka Skjerseth
