Members of Arcturus, Thorns, Mayhem and 1349 have given black metal fans a tremendous 'brutally raw' debut, coming from these notoriously known Scandinavian legends, it is no surprise that it is brilliant.

Formed by Marius Vold & Steinar Sverd Johnsen in 1989, Mortem was one of the first black metal bands to appear out of the great black metal country of Norway, releasing the highly coveted and brutal Slow Death demo, with Euronymous & Dead of Mayhem acting as producer and cover artist. After the release of Slow Death, the band was laid to rest with members going on to form and feature in well-known bands, such as Arcturus and Thorns, both which became pillars in the black metal scene.

The band is now shaped by Vold singing vocals, Steiner Johnsen on guitar, the exciting & award-winning Hellhammer on drums and Tor Stavenes on bass (also a member of 1349 & Svart Lotus).

Steinar Sverd Johnsen says about the RE-formation of Mortem- “Reviving Mortem was something we had thought about for a long time. Due to increasing creative differences it was a natural move to drag Mortem out of the ground, and come together with other brilliant additions to the band, to make something evil, fast, and heavy as hell, borrowing elements from Arcturus and Bathory, It’s old school while being totally unique”

RAVNSVART tracklisting;

Ravnsvart [06:34]
Sjelestjeler[05:11]
Blood Horizon[03:57]
Mørkets Monolitter[04:44]
Truly Damned [05:59]
Demon Shadow[06:13]
Port Darkness[07:03]
The Core[05:50]

The album begins with the mighty “Ravnsvart”, with an ominous and full sounds that engulfs the listener entirely in its frightening yet exhilarating beginning and mysterious-sounding chord progression. Hellhammer does not disappoint; his well-known drum fills and blast beats add to the monstrous sound of the song. From Vold, his growling & demonic-like vocals are surprisingly melodic and have a likeable cadence. The band also incorporates an electronic keys background, giving the song an even more grandiose choral sound, reminiscent of a large, eight-piece band with a full and dark sound.

“Sjelestjeler” is the next track, beginning with a familiar-sounding military-like cadence on the drums that carry the fast-paced tempo of the song. At the two minute mark, we are graced with a solo typical of black metal; Johnsen uses his prowess and power on a heavy, tremolo-picking solo that breaks up the song structure to give it a unique sound. It is just as heavy as “Ravnsvart”, yet takes the song into a few different directions with tempo change and fret work to give it its’ own undeniably heavy sound.

The next song might catch you off guard if you aren’t ready to be startled by heavy-hitting drums!! “Blood Horizon” has a sweeping sound, with the symphonic keys in the background & dramatic chord changes. The vocals by Vold have a high-pitched, throaty sound that does not follow the typical 'black metal' screeching ', which is refreshing and albeit, interesting to hear- when a black metal band waivers a bit from the formula, it is an unpredictable yet welcome sound to the ear.

“Morkets Monolitler” follows; full-sounding keyboards immerse the ears in a haunting sound that begs of the listener to sit almost “on the edge” to see what direction the song will follow. But it seems with Mortem, there is no formula that represents their band to follow. Vold does not quite “sing”the lyrics; they are almost spoken as one would speak/hum a nursery rhyme. It is one of the more simplistic songs on the album yet clearly just as effective, as the ominous choral sounds add to the metal/doom/goth-like sound that carries the listener as a gigantic, steady wave would carry you to the shore...

Of course, a black metal album would not be complete without a song using death as a subject or a reference- in “Truly Damned”, the question is asked, -'...is there a goodbye in a death??' ,using a goth-like keyboard sound and a haunting melody of choral sounds. It is my personal favourite on the album; boasting long stretches of horrifying soundscapes and a more melodic sound than the typical 'black metal' sound. Hellhammer displays his impeccable playing, especially at the 3 minute mark, where the tempo is backed with a steady 4/4 beat on the Tom. It is a song not to be missed on the album.

“Demon Shadow” is quite the heavy black metal song, that begins with the prominent bass and typical fast-paced tempo of the black metal song. At the two minute mark, a unique guitar solo breaks the monotony and Johnsen uses a few different pedals to create an interesting sound that adds dimension to the repetitive chorus; slow, heavy-sounding keys enter at 3 minutes and each instrument creeps back into the song, one by one- adding layers and depth.

“Port Darkness” comes next; the longest song on the album at 7 minutes. It starts as a very typical sounding black metal structured song; yet at the four minute mark, the song slows to a steady crawl as the keys emit minor chords and a ghostly feel. The guitar echos this horrid sound in its’ own way; the song also uses a sample of a voice, remarking repetitious things such as, “....reality is much, much worse..” (I couldn’t agree more;)). Again, Hellhammer keeps the time impeccably and never goes overboard with double bass or blast beats; he knows what is in his arsenal of tools and exactly when to use those 'weapons'.

“The Core” is the final song on the album; it begins with spoken word poetry of Satan and darkness. It is a slow, trodding song- but that makes it ever the more interesting to listen to; it boasts some of the best guitar work on the album, with scales and diminished chords- a solo graces us at two minutes yet it is not overzealous in any way; it fits every element of the song perfectly. Toward the end of the song, there is an interesting chord progression and double bass is used (on drums) yet it is well-controlled and not overused in any type of way; it merely adds to the depth and uniqueness of the song.

If you have ever been a fan of black metal, especially any of the bands that these gentlemen have participated in, this album is one that is not to be missed. I listen to it frequently on walks around my new city in Europe and it has become essential for me, part of my metal playlist. This is a case where there is nothing wrong with a little nostalgia.

Mortem are:

Steinar Sverd Johnsen, Guitar (Arcturus, Covenant, Satyricon ..)
Marius Vold, Vocals (Stigma Diabolicum, Thorns, Arcturus)
Hellhammer, Drums (Mayhem, Covenant, Arcturus..)
Tor R. Stavenes, Bass (1349, Svart Lotus, Den Saakaldte ...)

Follow Mortem:

https://www.facebook.com/mortemnorway/

www.instagram.com/mortem_norway

Review by Marisa Dymond