After intensive touring, re-releasing and re-recording an album (I am probably missing some things) Mortiis is back with a new album. Starting as bassist from the legendary Emperor he created Dungeon Synth and went (almost) full on Gothic Rock/ Industrial with albums such as “The Smell of Rain”. Now, after a lengthy time of touring live with performing live interpretations of his Dungeon Synth era our Norwegian Troll (or is it Orc?) is back with a new album.
It seems that Morttiis (Havard Elefson) is a chameleon (weird because I have never seen chameleons with pointy noses before) because he is changing colours again. This time he manages to create a synth driven album based on Synth Pop, World Music, Electronics, Goth Rock and many more. Mortiis himself explains that this album is influenced by (amongst others) Tangerine Dream. But in my opinion it is more, much more, and very different too. Whether all songs are, in my humble opinion, a success or not you can read below.
The album is called “Ghosts of Europa” and consists of eight tracks (and has a duration of over 50 minutes). The first song and title-track and is a chill melancholic song which has both ethereal and synth pop elements. It is a great concoction but, in my humble opinion, the autotune of the vocals should have been avoided. In general, I’m absolutely no fan of autotune. I understand that in the dystopian world Mortiis creates on this album it fits somewhat. But I rather have decoded/distorted vocals instead of autotune.
Follow up “Return to the Old Fields” takes its time to get momentum. It feels like a long interlude until it has a little more beat and the vocals of Mr. Mortiis at the last two minutes. I like the vibe but was expecting a bit more punch. And just when I think the third track “The Faith that Fades Away” is going to be a bit lackluster track has a really good drive. It is chill, dark yet dreamy and danceable. A really enthralling track. After that its time for “Violent Silence” which is one of the best tracks on “Ghosts of Europa”. It is very synth driven and the weird, again dystopian, vocoded vocals with clean vocals make it a really interesting song. It has danceable vibe without forgetting to shed some darkness. Really enjoy this one especially when the guitar sets in, giving it a New-Wave/ Post-Punk-ish atmosphere. Well done!
“Transcending Morpheus” also take its time to build up and is very poppy yet leans on the esoteric side. The keys and synths still make you dance a bit but the song is ultimately very dreamlike Simply put: a good song and very enjoyable song which shows his true strength after a few spins. “Tundra, Heart of Hell” is more straight forward and ejects you back to the 80’s. It would have fitted “The Smell of Rain” perfectly and is a poppy industrial driven track which ought to be a killer on the stage. “Tribes of Dystopia” mixes both the esoteric vibe and more synthy songs very well. This indeed reminds me a bit of Tangerine Dream. But does it top Tangerine Dream? Hell no, but TD was far ahead of its time, and compare this album to TD won’t do justice to either of these acts. This dystopian adventure ends with “Farewell Romero” which is poppy yet heavy and has a great drive. It makes sure that this is a fitting end of this intriguing album and shows that Mortiis still is a very gifted musician who can operate in so many genres.
I think this album closes the gap between the Dungeon Synth and Goth/Industrial Rock era of Mortiis. It is an enjoyable album which has its memorable moments. This one is best listened to at night with a glass of wine (or something else of your choosing) with the candles burning. Create your own safe space and dream and mildly dance your way into another world. The album as a whole s a bit of a “hit or miss” record, a bit of a mixed bag. The more esoteric tracks aren’t exactly my cup of tea and the start isn’t as strong as the later songs but in the end this album compels me to give it another spin. I am quite positive of “Ghost of Europa”. Our Norwegian chameleon, troll, orc, whatever, is back and has made an album which connects well with me. Although not all songs resonate perfectly the tracks who do really are worth discovering. Maybe I will play a track or two at my own Goth party, and that can be regarded as a compliment. If you like electronics and like Mortiis. Give this one a go, and if you are not into Mortiis: just give it a chance. This album is very well made, produced and executed. Except my remarks should be enjoyed by a larger audience. I really would like to see how this music is being performed live. This album will grow on you….give it some time. Good stuff!
Label: Prophecy Productions
Release Date: 26 June 2026
Reviewer: Erik
Score: 7,3/ 10
Tracklist:
- Ghosts of Europa
- Return to the Old Fields
- The Faith that Fades away
- Violent Silence
- Transcending Morpheus
- Tundra, Heart of Hell
- Tribes of Dystopia
- Farewell Romero
