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 August 8, 2016.

From the country that gave us… well… Lars Ulrich… comes a band that I think is quite interesting. Ureas are a power metal outfit, bent on proving that the music scene in Denmark can produce a band that does not involve Metallica or their shining star.

If you take power metal, then you mix equal parts of both nu-metal and groove metal … you get an unmistakable heavy explosion that is named Ureas. Led by husband and wife team Per and Heidi Johansson (both handing keys and vocals) and having guest bassist Mike LePond – you get a force that few could ignore. Bristling riffs, nasty vocals and very intelligent lyrics are what the band gives and delivers with the pinpoint accuracy of a sniper.

I look at the song list as I go listen to the album three times… I was struck with how good it was written. All of the songs were simply incredible, but two stood out for me as the stars here. Both The Seven Deadly Sins and V for Victory have the perfect melding of all of the separate parts to give you adrenaline fueled chaos while still keeping it all control. Few acts, anywhere, could match this feat of musical prowess… Ureas does it.

With some recording errors and the lack of separation between the different instruments on a few songs the album as a whole is pretty good. I enjoyed Ureas and their spin on everything and if the next album is as well written with the recording glitches omitted – that will be the album that could get Ureas on a worldwide stage very quickly.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10