Album Review: Mork – Monolitt
Some bands like to play the long game, taking their time to assemble all the correct pieces of the puzzle. Mork is the living embodiment of this, with founder Thomas Eriksen taking almost ten years to release the band’s full length debut “Isebakke” almost a decade after the band’s inception. The Norwegian act with the crazy X logo occupying spots on festival posters (if you know, you know) has well and truly spread its wings, reaching to the Far East and Australia and everywhere else in between. Now, they prepare to unleash their latest studio effort “Monolitt” ahead of a European tour this autumn. How will this album compare to their previous release “Syv” ?
Honestly, “Monolitt” is like night and day compared to the rest of Mork’s back catalogue! Whereas older material felt somewhat primitive and rushed in terms of production, “Monolitt” immediately introduces you to a much cleaner and superior overall end product in the shape of ‘Under Vekten Av Verden’. The year 2026 has already seen ferocious black metal releases, whether it’s Mayhem, Darkthrone, Worm, or Stormkeep. However, Mork have found their place in this stacked market with their fresh yet classic sound. A sound that captures the raw fury and blazing infernal atmosphere of the genre’s early days, best illustrated with the blistering effort that is ‘Odelagt’. Though Eriksen and co have clearly invested time in the studio and embraced the best of modern technology, and the evidence is clear!
The dynamics and pace is constantly shifting in a chaotic and unpredictable environment. From the sludgy and mirky depths of ‘Torden’ to the chugging grooves of ‘Ferdament’, as well as the blistering pace of ‘Jutul’ that comes straight for the juggler, you’re a fool for even trying to guess what sorcery Mork will conjure up next! ‘Torden’ and ‘Skromt’ provide oddly uplifting and introspective melodies that form part of the package that constantly challenges the pre-conceived notions of what black metal can and should be. All of this gives the songs much welcome and necessary identity, preventing any from getting lost in the shuffle. If you only have time for one song, make it ‘Utryddelse’. From its cinematic opening, the song reaches staggering heights with an eerie and austere undertone that makes you contemplate your own fragile mortality!
Mork have produced something quite remarkable in “Monolitt”, their most ambitious and mature effort by quite some distance. “Monolitt” is an injection of fresh impetus in a genre that constantly runs the risk of becoming stale, and Mork have done this in an organic and believable manner.
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