Metal Reviews

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From the samples I listened to, and your review now, I really want to try this. I'm not sure I'd call it Black Metal, though.

Why not? I think the influence from an album like Bergtatt were fairly apparent, although I'd agree that Myrkur wasn't directly borrowing.

I'm not saying it's not part BM, it clearly is. But there's much more to it and this site has generally more defined tags. That said, it was a good review so I guess you just have to read to know what it's about.

Right, it isn't certainly straight ahead black metal like Sargeist or Horna or something.

I increasingly find over-specific genre labels quite annoying. It is very natural and desirable that within a particular genre of music there is going to be a lot of variation. Consider the array of things that tend simply to be called 'jazz' for example. I think the desire to over-categorise reflects a conservative mindset: "something has happened outside our very specific parameters: it has to be clearly delineated as separate from us". Not that I would accuse Stefan of having a conservative mindset, of course...

Secondly, with the exception of one clearly 'post'-influenced track, this basically is a traditional black metal record. I mean in terms of the instrumental techniques and sounds used. It is not as aggressive as Horna/Sargeist etc but then neither is Bergtatt. There are two main differences from normal black metal: the clean female vocals, and the relative warmth of the tonalities used. This might well be enough to make purists dislike it, but it is not enough to give it a new genre classification.

Next week I will be reviewing the recent Morbus Chron and defiantly calling it 'death metal'.

Hmmm. I just learned of this act through a Vice article critiquing black metal purists for seeking to question this act's authenticity. And I'm not one to usually agree with IMNs, but I think they're right. The fact that this has supposedly been created by some girl from a pop act and that this might be a band produced by a label as opposed to being picked up by a studio. That smacks of the culture industry and is pretty fucked if you ask me. Sure, some metal labels have sculpted acts like Cradle of Filth or Dimmu Borgir, but I think the production of acts by studios is very problematic for black metal and the possibility for bands like Skagos, WITTR, Panopticon, Iskra, etc. to be doing what they do as the culture industry pushes it's way in. Maybe I'm just having a knee-jerk.

So a female making black metal = false flag operation by Those Damn Capitalists? ;) Yeah, I get your point but I really think you're knee-jerking, especially using the P-word to describe the situation (problematic). Sure, Relapse has less kvlt value than Hells Headbangers, but damning a project as vntrve because the creator has the temerity to 1. have other musical interests and 2. a record deal is pretty harsh. No-one's calling it the new Noenum, whatever Vice thinks.

(http://www.vice.com/read/protecting-the ... -metal-827 Vice piece referred to)

Also, just out of curiosity, but what did you mean by calling Cradle and Dimmu "sculpted"? Dimmu were formed in 1993 and Cradle were formed in 1991, and both bands had black metal cred before, admittedly, losing it.

This controversy is just ridiculous. BM purists think it's bad that people originating from other styles than theirs dearest dare play Black Metal? Who cares? Whatever the genre, purists are the taliban of music. If you don't like it, don't listen to it, plain and simple. I personally think it's great to hear different voices in what had became a pretty much incestuous genre, one that needs to grow above and beyond what is trve and kvlt.
A few years back, Velvet Cacoon made a mockery of those idiots, now Myrkur does the same while not relying on plagiarism proving, if needed be, that the quality of the music is the only thing that really counts, and quality there is. "Protecting the precious flower that is Black Metal" (as Vice wrote), one that lets grow nazis, racists, homophobes, murderers and arsonists... What a strange and ugly flower...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlbiXBEkNiE

lol

Controversy seems like Lana Del Rey v.black metal.

shes making dumb videos they're complaining about dumb crap that doesnt matter everyone involved is embarrassing themselves

Ah yes, Stefan, the expert on black metal is here to break it down for us. You are painting the genre in generalities because you, with all due respect, haven't kept up with it us much as some of us have, which I gather was the summation of Rio's point.

I may not be an expert, I've never pretended to be, but I sample everything supposed new voice in a genre I've been introduced to by some ex-reviewers of this very site. I'm sure I've missed a lot of great bands and albums but, so far as the evolution of the genre is concerned, I've kept an inquisitive ear.

"Purists are the taliban of music." Very nicely put, sir. I will have to check out what all the hubbub is about this record.

Finally got around to listening to this. It has a soothing, ethereal quality that is quite pleasant. The Ulver influences are pretty clear (Garm produced this after all) and while it doesn't come close to touching either Bergtatt or Kveldssanger, there is definitely much potential here. The abrupt transitions between time changes could definitely use some work, but overall this was a solid debut for Ms. Brunn. Frosne Vind, Latvian Feguro and Ma Du Braende i Helvede were my top tracks.

On a side note, I just noticed that the blonde girl who plays Jenny in Lonely Island's Jack Sparrow music video is actually Brunn.

Very strange.