2026 marks Möhrkvlth’s return.
Eight years after their debut album, Grégory Person (guitar/vocals), Florian Le Borgne (bass), Galaad Biannic (drums), Sven Vinat (guitar/vocals, Himinbjorg), and Mathieu Losq-Le Bars (vocals) have signed with Antiq Records for the release of their second album, Gwenojennoù an ankounac’h (“Habits of Oblivion” in Breton).
Dindan Gouloù Ar C’hroajoù Mein kicks things off with a lingering, unsettling sound, plunging us into the unknown before unleashing its searing riffs, followed by vocals that start out mystical but grow increasingly aggressive, staying true to their Old School roots. It’s impossible not to feel the majestic touches the band adds between waves of violence, as well as the few DSBM influences looming in the dark veil in contrast to Va C’heriadenn, which adopts a more ethereal and haunting tone. One feels overwhelmed by the track’s coldness, which contrasts with its slightly more energetic, catchy riffing, but which ultimately transforms into an ocean of darkness by the end, leading into the shorter, solemn Recueillement, a hypnotic acoustic interlude that allows us to catch our breath gently. Once the interlude is over, the band returns with a vengeance on Pour Une Couronne De Chrysanthèmes, the next track, which takes its time establishing a heavy atmosphere before fully embracing distortion once again, allowing its rage to fully erupt. The melancholic sound returns in full force on Noz Ar Re Grouget, the album’s longest track, which begins with a heavy introduction before launching into a veritable icy onslaught that firmly anchors the sound in this raw approach, yet also features much longer moments bordering on the solemn. The final is also much calmer, finally giving way to the reassuring Aux Songes De L’Hiver, the sixth and final track, which, though it too is plagued by distortion and aggression, develops soaring tones, even briefly shifting to clean vocals before erupting once more to better conclude the march through the snow and bring the album to a close.
Although beeing silent for some time, Möhrkvlth has reawakened with a dark and mysterious power still rooted in his Breton folklore. Gwenojennoù an ankounac’h is an excellent addition to the French Black Metal scene.
90/100
