Bands that make a (sort of) comeback are either really good at what they do, or are just trying to collect crumbs of their successful past.
Mörk Gryning is a name I haven’t seen in years. A couple of very strong albums in the middle of the 90s positioned the band as one of the most interesting melodic Black Metal acts out there, delivering one dark tune after the other. With time, the band kind of… faded away from fans’ circles, while still having that top-tier couple of albums from back then.
Fast forward to 2020. Corona and all that crap. And ka-bam! A new Mörk Gryning album is out, and it sounded great. A ton of the elements that made the band what they are, and a ton of new(ish) influences that positioned “Hinsides Vrede” easily as some of the group’s best works, especially after so many years of silence. For others, though, it kind of flew under the radar. But for those who paid attention, it was clear that the band had lost none of their fire.
And so, we come to “Fasornas Tid”, the recent push by the band that wasted no time delivering their material. I pretty much hate intros, and the one and only reason their own “Intro” works here is because it connects seamlessly with “The Seer”, which opens up with a flurry of edge-sharp riffs and a scream that puts the listener back in his seat, all the while, the flurry of harsh melodies being pinned like sharp instruments into a body.
Melodic Black Metal as a (sub)genre was at its peak in the middle of the 90s, and the Swedish bunch managed to recapture its essence, as the modern production of the latest release just makes everything sound a bit bolder and cleaner, without taking away from the aggressive baseline. A perfect example of this is also the title track itself, as the cleanliness of symphonic keyboard elements blends wisely with the rough guitar work, which dictates it all. The band has managed to keep the balance between their old-school roots and the crispness of contemporary production, making “Fasornas Tid” feel both nostalgic and fresh at the same time.
A similar case is with the tad-slower “An Ancient Ancestor of the Autumn Moon”, yet “Black Angel” shows the band’s ability to launch more than enough hammering moments into the air, combining the music with clean background vocals on one side, but having some of the angriest writing on the album, on the other.
Flesh-cutting melodies are present in almost any track of the album, and the wild-sounding “The Serpent’s Kiss” is just pure blast beat madness. The intensity reaches a fever pitch with “Age of Fire”, which yet again proves that the Swedes know exactly how to craft an atmosphere that is both violent and haunting. The way these tracks are structured, with layers of melodies and blistering speed, shows that the band isn’t just rehashing old ideas—they are refining them, evolving them, and delivering them with razor-sharp precision.
For a band that once seemed to have faded into obscurity, Mörk Gryning has returned with an album that doesn’t just meet expectations but exceeds them. The new album is proof that they still belong among the best in the melodic black metal scene, capturing the raw energy of the past while forging ahead with new fire.
7/10
Label: Season of Mist
Release Date: December 2024
Tracklist:
Intro
The Seer
Tornet
Fasornas Tid
Before the Crows Have Their Feast
Savage Messiah
An Ancient Ancestor of the Autumn Moon
Black Angel
Barren Paths
The Serpent’s Kiss
Der Svarta
Age of Fire