MØL

MØL EP

Written by: PP on 11/01/2015 23:17:24

With Deafheaven grabbing all the headlines of international media as of late with a brand of black metal often dubbed as 'hipster black', and Solbrud dominating the media critical acclaim back home in Denmark, black metal seems to finally have arrived. No longer belonging into the deep underground with cult followings, the recent influx of mainstream-friendly melody into black metal is elevating the genre into popularity many of us would never have imagined only five or six years ago. As a result, more and more people are being exposed to the genre, introducing fresh ideas and ways to do things differently from the norm. One example is Myrkur, the one-woman black metal project by Danish pop singer Amalie Bruun, which might not have pushed the envelope but shows increased interest by an unexpected audience.

Enter MØL from Århus, a black metal project formed by members of shoegaze band Antennas To Nowhere two years ago. Here we have a textbook example of the above equation at work, with a truly refreshing and definitely Deafheaven-inspired take on black metal on their three-track, self-titled debut EP. With references to the same 'hipster black' style of black metal, they mix together elements and ideas from post-rock, shoegaze, and even indie rock into an expression that's still black metal at its heart. The result is songs that are astonishingly beautiful from an instrumental perspective, with barrages of high-pitch tremolo guitars echoing triumphantly in a massively expansive soundscape. Classic black metal shrieks roar sky-high above the atmospheric soundscape, which relies heavily on ambiance and dreamy melodies as a direct contrasting element to the despaired shrieks that follow a more classic black metal platform. An example is "Makhachkala", which takes us on a tour of shoegaze style noise, tranquil moments, and back-chilling post-rock melodies all the whilst delivering a crushing black metal onslaught at the same time. It's rare to hear the genre played in this manner, and MØL do an excellent job at delivering an intriguing sound that appeals also to people who don't normally listen to black metal (trust me, I tested this on my colleagues at my bank job out of curiosity).

"Sundrowned", on the other hand, delivers an awe-inspiring lead riff, whilst providing a great low-end rhythm support to create a beautiful contrast instrumentally. The faded shrieks extend and bounce across their enormous atmosphere, resulting in an instantly catchy and thoroughly impressive soundscape that should launch the band into international success the moment people start hearing about this band. Likewise, "Airy" is another brilliant track, merging together quintessential atmospheric black metal with elements from shoegaze and post-rock flawlessly.

With three tracks to show it's difficult to be sure whether MØL are able to write an album's worth of black metal as consistent as the three tracks suggest here. But if they are able to follow-up "MØL" EP with material as great as that on display throughout the three tracks, sky's truly the limit for these guys. You read it here first: MØL will snowball into national and international recognition in no time. A must hear for all Danish metal fans, for music so beautiful, well-written and well-executed is a rare sight in our local scene.

Download: Sundrowned, Airy, Makhachkala
For the fans of: Deafheaven, Wolves In The Throne Room, Slowdive
Listen: Facebook

Release date 07.07.2014
Self-Released

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