When we’re considering need-to-know names in the modern landscape of black metal, Mork absolutely has to be a name that comes to mind damn near instantly. The endless barrage of darkness from the Norwegian act ever since their first album has been a steady flow of consistent excellence the likes of which we get on only the rarest of occasions with it feeling as though the reputation and power of Mork evolves with every subsequent creation. Hot off the heels of 2021’s outrageous “Katedralen” with last year’s “Den Svenvende Festning” the final chapter of that cycle for Mork, it is now that we herald in the arrival of Mork’s sixth full-length album in ten years. Let’s be honest, do I have to be the one to tell you that this is another undeniable victory for Mork and all of black metal?

It’s hard enough for any band to refine their sound going from one creation to the next, but it’s another entirely to do that while simultaneously pushing yourself into a different sonic territory no matter how slightly different it may be than before to maintain your core ideals while never once failing to explore new realms for your sound. To do so is the mark of truly exceptional names, and Mork has done so in exemplary fashion during its run. A clearly defined line can be drawn from the band’s debut to now through all of its releases, but each creation has something to call its own even if it’s a small morsel. In the eight tracks of “Dypet”, we are shown themes that are more than well-known throughout the entirety of black metal with Mork’s viciously defined mid-paced riffs always making for a damn good time as we’re shown visages of death, betrayal, inner demons, and general misanthropy alongside a mythological homage. Throughout all of it, I find it hard to pin down precisely what is different about “Dypet” from its predecessors, if anything, which doesn’t make this creation feel as massive as what “Katedralen” did for me, but in no way does that mean Mork didn’t do another spectacular job with all that they brought to the table here! There’s a reason that Mork has been called one of the best of what modern black metal has had to offer for years now with every shred of “Dypet” a simple continuation of that domination with the riffs, the power, and the mentality that are all more than potent enough to ensure that Mork retains their position at the top of modern black metal.

At this point, I would figure that any band would find themselves in some sort of a dip when it comes to the quality given how breathless the output has been with what we’re seeing here. Mork has been an absolutely monolithic presence in the studio and on stage with few things being able to get in their way of slow but sure global domination with “Dypet” being the latest offensive for us to find ourselves before. A continuous source of dark magnificence that is not showing any signs of waning any time soon, Mork proceeds to be the very definition of what it means to be a true powerhouse!

“Dypet” releases on March 24th via Peaceville!

LISTEN to an advanced track from “Dypet” on Bandcamp here or via YouTube below.

LIKE Mork on Facebook here.