Myrkur – Down At The Front

Myrkur

Paul Hudson — Fri, 31 May 2024 21:09:42 +0000

Myrkur straddles the overlap between black metal and folk. It isn’t as odd as it sounds, since both can explore supernatural and fantastical themes. With her Folkesange album, Myrkur explored traditional Scandinavian folk music. Her most recent album Spline is more a mixture of the two extremes with more layered etherial music giving way to much heavier death metal. It is this blend that attracts a surprisingly musically diverse audience. It also leaves you wondering which version of Myrkur you are going to see. Tonight was mostly Spline related content, that mixes both. I enjoyed the evening, but would have preferred more of her folk arrangements to have been included. But her cover of House Carpenter was absolutely beautiful.

Support was from Jonathan Hultén.

Set list

Bålfærd
Like Humans
Mothlike
My Blood Is Gold
Spine
Valkyriernes sang
Dybt i skoven
The Serpent
Crown
Blazing Sky
Devil in the Detail
House Carpenter
Bonden og kragen
Leaves of Yggdrasil
Ulvinde
Death of Days

January 2018

Paul Hudson — Sun, 04 Mar 2018 23:09:37 +0000

Gigs This Month: 8

Artists I liked

Hotel Lux, Drahla, Shame, Hussy, Lucia, The Band Of Holy Joy, Warmdusher, Honeyblood, The Horrors, Snapped Ankles, Desperate Journalist, She Drew A Gun, Pulled Apart By Horses, British Sea Power, Koyo, Yonaka, Gang Of Four, Peter Hook and the Light, Helen McCookerybook, Jo Quail, Myrkur, SKiNNY MiLK, Dronningen, Dream Wife, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir

Artists that were okay

Yowl, Crosa Rosa, Melt Dunes, Moderate Rebels, Soccer Mummy, Sweaty Palms, Scoundrel

Artists I won’t be going out of my way to see again

Crewel Intentions, Chemtrails, God Colony, The Orb, Lower Slaughter, Drug Store Romeos, Eyrie Leiu, Alabama Three, Judy Dyble and Andy Lewis

Best Gig

January was actually a decent start to the year. The Rockaway Beach festival was a good way to start a new year. Next year it needs more acts. But it was a good break. But there was one outstanding gig this month. Myrkur at St John on Bethnal Green was simply stunning. A perfect location for folk gothic folk music.

Best new artist

I wasn’t sure if I’d enjoy Peter Hook. I thought it might be a bit karaoke. But he was really good.

Best photo

Myrkur

Paul Hudson — Sun, 04 Mar 2018 22:41:54 +0000

I thought this year I would still try to keep my blog going, but instead of writing up every gig, I’d focus on the standout gigs and what a first gig to write up, it’s already a strong contender for gig of the year!

A few months ago I did a ‘random’ at Rough Trade. The artist was called Myrkur (aka Amalie Bruun) and although I knew nothing about her, by the end of the gig I was hooked. Myrkur, is on the surface a Scandinavian black metal artist. But she also has had a pop career and most pertinent to this review, a background in Scandinavian folk music. It was this aspect that interested me most so the idea of a whole gig of her folk music in a church, had to be done.

First up was Jo Quail playing an cello using various loop pedals. She was an excellent introduction to the evening.

St John’s of Bethnal Green is a great little venue. It has decent acoustics and tonight, the lighting gave it a spooky atmosphere, the perfect setting of Myrkur.

Myrkur practices kulning, an ancient method of calling herds in the wilds of Scandinavia. Mrykur, started the evening with her own kulning, calling her audience to attention. From this moment onwards, I was bewitched.

There’s something special about Myrkur. She has a beautiful versatile voice. With the power to sing metal, but the delicacy to sing folk music. Tonight she played a combination of acoustic versions of her metal and folk music mainly from Denmark and Sweden. Regularly switching between piano, drum, guitar and some traditional instrument. She was accompanied by two singers who complemented Myrkur’s voice perfectly and a guitarist playing various traditional instruments. Even though much of the evening I couldn’t understand the words, everything was simply beautiful. I was simply bewitched and from the complete silence, so was everyone else in the audience. (And I was glad that my camera has a silent mode)

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November 2017

Paul Hudson — Mon, 01 Jan 2018 22:58:53 +0000

This month’s bands

Artists I liked

The Orielles, Nordic Giants, Thurston Moore, Dove and the Wolf x2, Torres x2, Gurr, Daylight Angèle David-Guillou, Sistertalk, Goat Girl, Protomartyr, Myrkur, Nik Bärtsch, Matthew Bourne, Deja Vega, Aldous Harding x2, Hotel Lux, The Orielles, Rews, Deep Throat Choir, The Vaulted Skies, Mammoth Penguins, Deerful, Peach Club, Kid Kapichi, Nova Twins

Artists that were okay

Dan Stock, Boy Azooga, Cover, Sons, VLMV, P.G.Lost, Sarah Angliss, Lietava, Sorry, Ice Cold Slush, Eliza McCarthy, Oh Boland, Árstíðir, Sólstafir, The Hermes Experiment, Lovers Club, Vinyl Staircase, Sports Club, Basement Strippers, Lilith Ali, Kathryn Joseph,

Artists I won’t be going out of my way to see again

Greek Tragedies, Claudia Barton, Jerkclub, The 924s, Mega Emotion

Best Gig

Torres or Aldous Harding? Two outstanding artists. I think Aldous wins.

Best new band

Protomartyr at the Dome

Best photo

September 2017

Paul Hudson — Mon, 01 Jan 2018 21:45:10 +0000

This month’s bands

Artists I liked

Waxahatchee, Margaret Glaspy, Myrkur, Band Of Holy Joy, The Horrors, Graceland

Artists that were okay

Allison Crutchfield, Haze, Starsha Lee, The Bitter Springs, Blue Orchids, The Caress, Tear, HCBP, DZ Deathrays, Kathryn Williams, RM Hubbert, The Saxophones,

Artists I won’t be going out of my way to see again

The Mighty Orchid King, Charlotte Berg, Chernobyl Sunshine Club

Best Gig

Margaret Glaspy at the Lexington

Best new band

As above. But special shoutout to Myrkur who was a big surprise.

Albums of the Month

Antisocialites – Alvvays
Mareridt – Myrkur
V – The Horrors
Visions of Life – Wolf Alice
Three Futures – Torres
Out in the Storm – Waxahatchee