Review by Jack on December 11, 2001.

On the promotional CD I received courtesy of No Fashion Records, Mork Gryning’s latest album “Maelstrom Chaos” is stated as being; ‘one of the most brutal and violent black metal releases ever’. This opening statement above the track listing conjured immediate thoughts of cynical optimism. Fortunately for all parties concerned this statement could not be further from the truth. “Maelstrom Chaos” is perhaps one of the most pure and mature black metal albums I have experienced this year.

Mork Gryning with this latest album capture the same sort of black metal originality and innovation that saw new black metal juggernaughts Susperia receive rave reviews for their debut masterpiece. I stupidly had “Maelstrom Chaos” pinned down as a chaotic black metal release in the vein of Belphegor or another variation of black/death hybrid band. Boy was I glad to be proved wrong!

There are segments of “Maelstrom Chaos” that seem surreal and have one thinking; ‘Eh? What is this? This is bloody good black metal!’ Yet it isn’t really strict black metal and Mork Gryning’s tunes deviate quite heavily from the standard blandness some may associate with black metal. Mork Gryning is stark contrast are the complete opposite of bland, instead invoking enjoyment and an atmosphere that is enjoyable and not of ‘brutality and violence’. “Maelstrom Chaos” not being ‘brutal and violent’ and instead possessing the fun filled factors that Finntroll and Solefald utilize for their experiments in black metal is what makes this record such a winner.

‘The Darkness Within’ contains one of the best guitar and drum signatures thus heard by me on a black metal record and blows anything Dimmu Borgir wrote on “Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia” out of the water. Yes, it is that good. As is “Maelstrom Chaos”. ‘Bloodspring Mirage’ also deserves special mention as one of the better instrumental tracks this year.

Incorporating anything and everything from all genres of metal, thrash, death, black, melancholic passages and slight hints of Viking metal magnificence, “Maelstrom Chaos” is certainly an eye-opener for me and I could not be more happy with this record, and urge all fans of metal to remove themselves from their computers and run to your local record dealer and demand a copy of it. You will not regret it.

Bottom Line: Where the hell did Mork Gryning spring forth from? “Maelstrom Chaos” is a black album of mammoth proportions and shaping up to be one of my favorites towards the end of the year.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Originality: 8
Musicianship: 8
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 9
Overall: 9

Rating: 8.6 out of 10

Review by JD on April 21, 2013.

I saw this simple drawn covered CD come to me, and shades of the very early metal years peeled through my memory all at once, yet I feel this is not the music on this shiny disk. Holodomor is the name of this UK band, taking the term from a genocidal famine that happened in Ukraine provoked by the communist rulers (SRR) in 1932-1933. Let us just see what this act has in store for us.

Playing what can be honestly described as a hybrid of Black, Death and Thrash Metal, it is a surprise to hear. Holodomor play some primitive styled metal, yet it has this incognito element of being well crafted and well played that goes against the simplistic attack that seems to be there. Barbaric Technical power, this band has that in spades.

The UK based thrashers have made an EP lasting barely thirty-three minutes yet they still pounded you with this over the top brutal power that seemed to swirl around from every angle. I loved each song that they had offered up, but the song 'Evoke' had the best trenchant riff ever – even though the song only lasted for two minutes and fifty two seconds. Despite the short explosion - It was a perfect song that just summed up the band’s sound and vision within a few minutes of pummeling.

The sad scoop was that this band was now split up and that sort of news is a sad day for metal. Any band that can combine this purity of technical ability cloaked in this very simplistic approach to their music needs to be out on the road. I hope that they do reform, and keep their sound, this is one band that needs to be in the metallic world.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9.5
Atmosphere: 9.5
Production: 8
Originality: 9.5
Overall: 9

Rating: 9.1 out of 10

Review by JD on April 21, 2013.

I saw this simple drawn covered CD come to me, and shades of the very early metal years peeled through my memory all at once, yet I feel this is not the music on this shiny disk. Holodomor is the name of this UK band, taking the term from a genocidal famine that happened in Ukraine provoked by the communist rulers (SRR) in 1932-1933. Let us just see what this act has in store for us.

Playing what can be honestly described as a hybrid of Black, Death and Thrash Metal, it is a surprise to hear. Holodomor play some primitive styled metal, yet it has this incognito element of being well crafted and well played that goes against the simplistic attack that seems to be there. Barbaric Technical power, this band has that in spades.

The UK based thrashers have made an EP lasting barely thirty-three minutes yet they still pounded you with this over the top brutal power that seemed to swirl around from every angle. I loved each song that they had offered up, but the song 'Evoke' had the best trenchant riff ever – even though the song only lasted for two minutes and fifty two seconds. Despite the short explosion - It was a perfect song that just summed up the band’s sound and vision within a few minutes of pummeling.

The sad scoop was that this band was now split up and that sort of news is a sad day for metal. Any band that can combine this purity of technical ability cloaked in this very simplistic approach to their music needs to be out on the road. I hope that they do reform, and keep their sound, this is one band that needs to be in the metallic world.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9.5
Atmosphere: 9.5
Production: 8
Originality: 9.5
Overall: 9

Rating: 9.1 out of 10

Review by JD on April 21, 2013.

I saw this simple drawn covered CD come to me, and shades of the very early metal years peeled through my memory all at once, yet I feel this is not the music on this shiny disk. Holodomor is the name of this UK band, taking the term from a genocidal famine that happened in Ukraine provoked by the communist rulers (SRR) in 1932-1933. Let us just see what this act has in store for us.

Playing what can be honestly described as a hybrid of Black, Death and Thrash Metal, it is a surprise to hear. Holodomor play some primitive styled metal, yet it has this incognito element of being well crafted and well played that goes against the simplistic attack that seems to be there. Barbaric Technical power, this band has that in spades.

The UK based thrashers have made an EP lasting barely thirty-three minutes yet they still pounded you with this over the top brutal power that seemed to swirl around from every angle. I loved each song that they had offered up, but the song 'Evoke' had the best trenchant riff ever – even though the song only lasted for two minutes and fifty two seconds. Despite the short explosion - It was a perfect song that just summed up the band’s sound and vision within a few minutes of pummeling.

The sad scoop was that this band was now split up and that sort of news is a sad day for metal. Any band that can combine this purity of technical ability cloaked in this very simplistic approach to their music needs to be out on the road. I hope that they do reform, and keep their sound, this is one band that needs to be in the metallic world.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9.5
Atmosphere: 9.5
Production: 8
Originality: 9.5
Overall: 9

Rating: 9.1 out of 10