Myrkur - "Skaði (Demo)"

Normally, I wouldn't make such a big deal over a demo, but this new track from the one-woman black metal project known as "Myrkur" comes with a pretty interesting announcement: Not only is the cut embedded above going to be featured on the forthcoming Myrkur LP on Relapse Records next year, but this project is also going to see some production assistance from Mr. Ulver himself, Kristoffer Rygg. There will be some instrumental accompaniment from members of Dodheimsgard and Mayhem as well.

That's a pretty hefty endorsement, and all of this for a project that seemingly came out of nowhere.

But here's something Myrkur's PR campaign has kind of omitted in the promotion of this project: Myrkur is actually Danish singer-songwriter and model Amalie Bruun. Ms. Bruun has actually released a handful of pop-flavored solo albums, sung in the band Ex Cops, and even collaborated with R.A. The Rugged Man. From hip hop to black metal, Bruun's musical tastes seem pretty diverse, and that can only be a good thing.

While I was somewhat underwhelmed by the debut Myrkur EP earlier this year, I'm hoping Bruun's past experience in releasing records yields more exciting results. I don't see how it can't considering minds like Rygg are going to be involved. Plus, this new track isn't half bad, too!

Sunn O))) & Ulver - Terrestrials

Sunn O))) & Ulver come together for a collaborative album whose recording process has been ongoing since 2008. Despite the short length of this thing, Terrestrials shows a balanced fusion of each artist's sound.

Sunn O))) & Ulver - "Eternal Return" (excerpt)

An excerpt from a soon-to-be-released track that features the artistic of both Sunn O))) and Ulver. Yes, Sunn O))) and Ulver! If you're into the heavier and darker side of music, these are two names you're undoubtedly familiar with, and to see them together in front of one song title is pretty exciting.

The excerpt streaming above is pretty moving, and there's more where that came from--obviously. Of course the entirety of "Eternal Return" hasn't been revealed, and there are two more songs which land on this forthcoming LP, Terrestrials, as well.

The LP's release date is looking like February 4th at this point. Enjoy what you hear in this stream until then!

Ulver - Messe I​.​X​-​VI​.​X

Commissioned for Tromsø Kulturhus, Messe I.X-VI.X is an epic and eclectic collaboration between Norwegian black metal outfit Ulver, the Tromsø Chamber Orchestra, and the Arctic Opera and Philharmonic Orchestra. Give the whole piece a listen above!

Mothlite- "Something In the Sky"

"Something In the Sky" is a track from the forthcoming Guapo album, Dark Age, which is a project spearheaded by composer and multi-instrumentalist Daniel O'Sullivan. I'm most familiar with his work with Guapo and Sunn O))), but I know he's been involved with the last few Ulver albums as well.

I'm also familiar with the previous album O'Sullivan dropped under the Mothlite name, the Flax of Reverie, which is a dark, avant chamber music record with a really moody personality. "Something In the Sky" feels like O'Sullivan is changing direction, and it's no surprise considering it's been about four years since a Mothlite album has been released. With its repetitive piano riff and energetic chorus vocals, this track is a noticeably more rockin'--for lack of a better word--than what I've come to expect from this project.

I wouldn't exactly call the mood "light," though. Rather, the gloomy arranged instrumentation, vocals, and outlandish imagery in this video give off a somewhat unsettling feeling. Get more info on this forthcoming Mothlite album here.

Ulver- Wars of the Roses

On Ulver's latest album, the band brings on Guapo's and Mothlite's Daniel O'Sullivan as a collaborator. He certainly helps Kristoffer Rygg and company bring the band's sound in a different direction for this new record, but I seriously wonder if it's for the record. I remember being taken by the band's previous album Shadows of the Sun pretty quickly, but this one has me waiting like a train that's not running on time. Is this record for you? Find out in this review.

Review: Ulver- Wars of the Roses

Stream: Ulver- "Providence"