Mörk Gryning lurked in the shadows.
Four years after their triumphant comeback, the Swedish band comprising Draakh Kimera (guitar/vocals, A Canorous Quintet, Blood Culture, Eternal Oath), Goth Gorgon (bass/vocals, ex-Mortifer), Aeon (keyboards/vocals, C-B Murdoc) and S-L (lead guitar, Sectu) offer us Fasornas tid, their seventh album, in collaboration with Season of Mist.
After a relatively calm but still mysterious introduction in clean and then saturated sound, The Seer sweeps us along in its icy, melodic surge, which of course welcomes the ferocious saturated vocals, but also some more soaring backing vocals. The contrast sometimes makes the composition majestic, as on Tornet where double kick and blast meet intoxicating dissonant harmonics and furious vociferations that get lost in the hurricane along with those of C. (Avslut). Fasornas Tid follows with the same frantic approach and assertive Old School roots that fuel this abrasive edge, then it’s with a dark groove that the band moves on to Before The Crows Have Their Feast, a slightly more accessible composition where the clean vocals are a little more present. Harmonics are not left out, with a cutting edge before giving way to a massive rhythm on Savage Messiah, which returns to coldness by integrating it with its leads and mystical keyboards. The atmosphere remains intoxicating before becoming heavier with An Ancient Ancestor Of The Autumn Moon, where the band reunites with C. for visceral vocal parts coupled to perfection with the heavy instrumental. The final allows us to catch our breath before moving on to the unhealthy heavy influences of Black Angel, making the track both calm and driving without taking away its dark aura. The Serpent’s Kiss charges in again, with a hint of dissonance that the musicians skilfully blend with a high tempo, but also a moment of appeasement to welcome the solo. Det Svarta ignites immediately after the end of the previous track, showering us with fury at every turn, then Goth Gorgon takes over lead vocals for Age Of Fire, the final track, which takes on rawer tones but allows itself a total break before starting up again to bring the album to a close.
Mörk Gryning confirms its resurrection with this new album, as qualitative as its predecessor. Fasornas tid knows perfectly how to play with the coldness and scathing melodies that the band generally pours out at speed, making it formidable.
90/100