Mork Katedralen

MORK have announced a brand new album!

Titled Katedralen, the upcoming album from the Norwegian black metal band is the follow-up to 2019’s Det Svarte Juv and is scheduled to be released in March next year, via Peaceville Records.

Speaking about the upcoming album, band mastermind Thomas Eriksen says, “the path I have walked from the first album up to this current day has been much needed for me to really find myself and what MORK is. The album has everything I want in an album, grooves, harshness, grandiosity, sadness, beauty and power. No rules, other than to respond to what comes out of my mind and soul while creating.

Katedralen (cathedral) is actually an old one I’ve had laying around since the early days of MORK. I always had a vision of a vast desolate cold and dead land and a gigantic cathedral where lost souls are kept for all eternity. I remember fantasizing it being a concept EP, I suppose much like Det Svarte Juv was envisioned back in the day. However, that one did not end up as a concept album. Katedralen is not a concept album either, but I see now that all the tracks tie neatly together after all. In the end all the lost souls ends up at the base of the massive cathedral.”

The upcoming album was performed, recorded by Eriksen at Likkjelleren Studio and mixed by both him and Freddy Holm at Kleiva Studio, with mastering once more carried out by Jack Control at Enormous Door (DARKTHRONE). The album also notably includes guest appearances from Nocturno Culto of labelmates DARKTHRONE, Dolk of fellow countrymen KAMPFAR, & finally Eero Pöyry of doom masters SKEPTICISM.

Expanding on the significance of the special guests, Thomas adds, “to be able to include Eero Pöyry on the album is a big deal for me. As it ties it all together with me discovering the darker and more extreme depths of metal back in the beginning. At the same time I found black metal, I also stumbled into funeral doom, which also made an lasting impression on me. I will never forget the overwhelming feeling of emptiness and hopelessness I got when listening to SKEPTICISM for the first time. Since my vision of Katedralen has to do with large and vast desolation and feelings, it is absolutely perfect having Eero putting his touch on this piece of my personal history and creation. I am forever thankful.

I have to say it is a great honor to include yet again my good friend Nocturno Culto. The track we picked is just as fist-in-the-face enough to suit his contribution perfectly. It’s become our duet of pessimistic black metal purity. Great man and a total legend. When Dolk and I got together to figure out which track to consider, I didn’t know really what to expect, since I’ve never worked with the man. I do know his great skills in KAMPFAR, obviously. But when he got down with it and did his thing on Født Til Å Herske, I was convinced instantly. His parts made the song. Genius.”

1. Dodsmarsjen
2. Svartmalt
3. Arv
4. Evig Intens Smerte
5. Det Siste Gode I Meg
6. Fodt Til A Herske
7. Lysbaereren
8. De Fortapte Sjelers Katedral