Myrkur

1. Ella
2. Fager som en Ros
3. Leaves of Yggdrasil
4. Ramund
5. Tor i Helheim
6. Svea
7. Harpens Kraft
8. Gammelkäring
9. House Carpenter
10. Reiar
11. Gudernes Vilje
12. Vinter

“Folkesange” is the third studio album by Danish band MYRKUR, led by singer Amalie Bruun. It was released on 20 March 2020 under Relapse Records. “Folkesange” diverts from the style of the band’s previous black metal albums into folk music. The album consists of renditions of Scandinavian traditional music performed with period instruments such as mandola, lyre, nyckelharpa and talharpa as well as of original acoustic compositions.

The first single from the album, “Ella” was released on 14 January 2020.

Album reception

“Folkesange” was met with generally favorable reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, this release received an average score of 75, based on 6 reviews.

1. “Mareridt”
2. “Måneblôt”
3. “The Serpent”
4. “Crown”
5. “Elleskudt”
6. “De tre piker”
7. “Funeral” (Featuring Chelsea Wolfe)
8. “Ulvinde”
9. “Gladiatrix”
10. “Kætteren”
11. “Børnehjem”

Mareridt (Danish “nightmare”) is the second studio album by Myrkur, the black metal project of Danish musician and singer-songwriter Amalie Bruun. The album was released on 15 September 2017 through Relapse Records. Mareridt was recorded between Seattle, United States and Copenhagen, Denmark, and was produced by Randall Dunn.  The album’s title is Danish for ‘nightmare’, in reference to the frequent occurrences of sleep paralysis and nightmares which provided the inspiration for much of the album. The album’s release was promoted with the release of at least three singles: “Måneblôt”, “Ulvinde”, and “De tre piker”. The album received widespread acclaim from music critics upon its release.

Background and style

Following the release of her debut full-length album, M, Bruun toured across the United States and Europe. Returning to her home in Denmark, Bruun found herself plagued by nightmares and episodes of sleep paralysis, which she has described as “one of the worst times of her life.” To cope with these nightmares, she used a notebook to document all the details and symbols in the dreams, and used them as a source of inspiration for her music. Many of the songs were written and composed on a small string instrument in a forest near her home which Bruun used as an escape and source of inspiration. The significant levels of online abuse and death threats she received also partially contributed to her mental state during this time. In July 2017, she released a song titled ‘Shadows of Silence’ as part of the Decibel Flexidisc series, though the song did not appear on the final album itself. It was also the first Myrkur song written and sung in English.

Critics have noted that Mareridt represents a noticeable change in musical style compared with Myrkur’s previous albums. Metal Hammer wrote that the album “mostly leans closer to the earthy, gothic folk of Chelsea Wolfethan post-black metal”. They also wrote that “Where she could’ve bowed to the elitists and charged into heavier realms, instead she’s scaled back the extremity, revelling in the kind of heaviness that favours sensory impact over the hammering of guitars as she flits between English and Danish. ” Some critics have compared the album favourably with artists such as Dead Can Dance, Sigur Rós, while AllMusic’s Thom Jurek argues that the album “not only bridges the stylistic diversity of her three previous releases — the 2015 album M and two EPS — but extends their reach into her own creative space, which cannot easily be defined.” In their review of the album, Decibel wrote that “black metal’s just one of many textures manipulated by Bruun”, and that her compositions “owe as much to Nordic folk music as they do to Ulver.”

1. Skøgen Skulle Dø
2.Hævnen
3. Onde Børn
4. Vølvens Spådom 
5. Jeg er Guden, I er Tjenerne 
6. Nordlys
7. Mordet 
8. Byssan Lull 
9. Dybt i Skoven 
10. Skadi 
11. Norn 
12. Skaði (Demo) (Bonus Track) 

M is the debut studio album by black metal project Myrkur, by Danish musician and singer-songwriter Amalie Bruun. Produced by Kristoffer “Garm” Rygg of Ulver, it was released on 21 August 2015 through Relapse Records.

Featuring a black and gothic metal sound, the album melds influences from various genres, including second wave black metal, atmospheric post-metal, gothic, darkwave, Scandinavian folk and classical music. The album was named the Best Hard Rock Album of 2015 by Gaffa.

Album reception

Upon its release, M received positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 83, which indicates “universal acclaim”, based on 10 reviews, and was the 85th highest rated album of 2015. Allmusic’s Thom Jurek wrote: “Myrkur’s music melds all of her adopted stylistic elements, lets their seams show, and emerges with an innovative, alchemical creation of her own. M expands on black metal’s boundaries yet holds its dark, foreboding spirit close.” The Austin Chronicle critic Michael Toland stated: “Danish raven Amalie Bruun integrates extreme intensity into both genres’ [goth/black metal’s] inherent drama.”  Sean Barry of Consequence of Sound thought that “M doesn’t differentiate itself greatly from the early work of many black metal artists.” Barry further added: “The album shines with potential and the promise that a more unique followup waits further down the trail.”

Exclaim! critic Natalie Zina Walschots praised the album, writing: “The textures of M are even more finely hewn and interwoven than its predecessor, resulting in a record that is at once profoundly tactile and deeply sensual.” Grayson Haver Currin of Pitchfork thought that “on M, Bruun is free and clear of any identity drama—and a much more convincing bandleader for it.” Spin critic Colin Joyce stated: “What remains Bruun’s strongest suit is the way she juxtaposes the extremity of her influences.” Joyce further concluded: “She comes out of more subdued sections to use blast beats like scare tactics, drops in glacial vocal harmonies as soothing lullabies.” The Quietus’ Dean Brown was also positive in his assessment of the album, writing: “By conveying the masculine and feminine duality inherent in old musical traditions and modern musical developments, Bruun has composed a truly rewarding record that defies direct categorisation.”

Nevertheless, Sputnikmusic’s Elijah K. gave the album a mixed review, describing the album’s sound as “painfully bland and too on the nose.”