Mork - Katedralen

 Mass at the cathedral of the second wave.

(Originally submitted to the Metal Archives on March 13th 2021) 

Mork has been a band I've had mixed feelings on for quite some time now. On one hand, I'm a sucker for second wave black metal, but on the other, the music on some of their albums is different to what I expected. Their earlier output in particular has been mired by slower songs which only served to bore me on albums like Isebakke and Den Vandrende Skygge. Thankfully band mastermind Thomas Eriksen has been steadily improving with each subsequent release, and Katedralen continues this upward trajectory.

The album kicks off with a great one-two punch in "Dødsmarsjen" and “Svartmalt”. The former of the two is an all out black metal assault, while the latter is more mid-paced and features none other than Darkthrone’s Nocturno Culto. Both tracks serve as great tone setters and show us what the rest of the album is going to be like. Notable moments include the harmonised guitars at 4:08 of “ Dødsmarsjen” and 3:01 of “Svartmalt”, where things slow down and a very melodic bassline can be heard underneath the guitars.

The midsection of the album is a slight dip in quality, seeing as it houses both a good and a more middling song. The better song here is “Evig Intens Smerte”, another straightforward black metal track that mixes tempos up quite nicely. A definite highlight here is the section at 4:18, where a slow ringing riff builds into a nice lead at 4:54. The other track here is “Det Siste Gode I Meg”, which mostly passes by without leaving much of an impression barring a nice vocal section at 4:04 where Thomas mixes both clean and harsh vocals, giving that section a grandiose feel.

Despite all that, the final third of the album houses 2 of the best tracks on offer: “Født Til Å Herske” and “De Fortapte Sjelers Katedral”. The former is a track that blends both slow and fast sections in a fantastic manner, ebbing and flowing through frosty tremolo passages and catchy mid-tempo riffs. The track’s definite highlights are the slow tremolo riff at 3:23, which gets sped up later on, and the chorus at 4:48. “De Fortapte Sjelers Katedral” on the other hand is the band’s longest track to date, clocking in at almost 9 and a half minutes. It’s an epic track that feels like a culmination of everything Thomas has been doing for the past few years, and ensures that the album ends on a high note. The best moments here are without a doubt the solo at 1:46 and the slow riff accompanied by the organs that closes off the album.

The production is also very well done, being crisp while not sacrificing any of the power or atmosphere black metal is known for. The guitars have this frosty tone we’ve all come to love by now, the bass is actually audible and can be heard noodling in the background if one pays attention to it, and the drums have a punchy sound as they drive the mix forward. The mixing is also really good, though the bass drum does feel a touch quiet at times.

While Katedralen is all around a very fun release, it’s not without fault. While things have improved in terms of songwriting across the board, there are still some of the weak slow tracks that plagued the band for most of its existence. “Arv” for example is wholly unimpressive as a track, while “Lysbæreren” sticks out like a sore thumb with riffs that feel completely out of place here. There is also the fact that Mork, like I said earlier, is a second wave worship band and isn’t all that original. So if you are looking for something that pushes the genre forward, or don’t enjoy that style, you are going to be disappointed.

Katedralen is a love letter to the second wave, and while not wholly original, it’s still a pleasurable 48 minute trip down memory lane. Despite having a couple of weaker tracks, it’s still Thomas Eriksen’s best effort so far. Hopefully things will continue improving if we ever get a sixth album.

Highlights: Svartmalt, Evig Intens Smerte, Født Til Å Herske, De Fortapte Sjelers Katedral

Rating: 83%