When one looks back at the bloodstained history of black metal, the names are as familiar as those of old friends - Mayhem, Burzum, Darkthrone. But in the shadows lurked another prime purveyor of northern darkness. Formed by Marius Vold & Steinar Sverd Johnsen in 1989, Mortem was one of the first black metal bands to crawl out of the woodwork in Norway, releasing the highly coveted and brutal Slow Death demo, with Euronymous & Dead of Mayhem acting as producer and cover artist respectively. After the release of Slow Death, the band was laid to rest with members going on to form and feature in acclaimed titans such as Arcturus and Thorns, both of which would become mainstays in the black metal scene and beyond.
In a moment of nostalgia & a desire for something more brutal beyond the current vessel of Arcturus, the corpse of Mortem was revived, & the unholy duo of Marius & Steinar joined forces once more. And so the long-awaited album, titled 'Ravnsvart', possesses the same raw brutality & spirit as the original incarnation, plus fresh elements all uniquely woven into the fabric of the early sounds of Scandinavian black metal, & crafted into a masterpiece of sinister horror.
Joining the duo is Hellhammer from the legendary Mayhem on drums, plus Tor Stavenes of 1349/Svart Lotus on bass.
LISTEN TO TITLE TRACK “RAVNSVART” HERE
Steinar Sverd Johnsen comments on the reformation; “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 is available to pre-order on CD, LP and digitally (pre-orders receive title track “Ravnsvart” as an instant download) HERE
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]
Mortem have confirmed they will be appearing at Rockstadt Extreme Fest in Transylvania on Friday 2nd August, the first chance for fans to hear the new album.
Like this story? Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for regular updates & more of the same.