Review by Jeger on November 29, 2024.

Melodic black metal has become something of a lost art. During the days of Dissection and Sacramentum, this particular sub-genre of black metal dominated much of the Scandinavian scene outside of Norway, and even though there are many black metal collectives that play melodically, it's simply not melodic black metal as we once knew it. However, we do have Sweden's Mörk Gryning - a band whose musical journey has taken some twists and turns toward experimentation and progressivism, particularly with their 2003 Pieces Of Primal Expressionism LP, which served as the band's second to last release before their long hiatus. But in 2020, during the plague days of isolation and mass hysteria, Mörk Gryning released what some enthusiasts consider to be their magnum opus in Hinsides Vrede - a palatable return to form and a fine representation of true melodic black metal. On December 13, Mörk Gryning will release Fasornas Tid via Season of Mist.

There is no dark history behind Mörk Gryning: no muders, arsons or suicides, only a staunch reputation of black metal excellence. The music and the talent speak for themselves. During the 90's, despite a landmark record release in their debut, Tusen År Har Gått, which was recorded at the renowned Unisound Studios and engineered by the legendary Dan Swanö, theirs along with many other Swedish band's contributions were simply overshadowed by the likes of Dissection, Marduk and even Dark Funeral back when they were a black metal band… Now, we find ourselves under the dawn of a new album release from Mörk Gryning - Fasornas Tid, and from what I've heard thus far, we're all in for a treat.

I consider 2020's Hinsides Vrede to be a bit more of a contemporary work in comparison to Fasornas Tid. The forthcoming record harkens back to the band's formative years during the age of melodic BM infamy, but with a folkish touch and a streak of modern day dynamics. From intro to closer, an excursion of mythological proportions and a work of sheer compositional brilliance: class, wisdom and adeptness incarnate. Packaged beautifully in noble cover art and production quality standing paramount above all else. All the grandiosity that you would expect from a band like Emperor, but grounded by intrepid riffs and malleable melodic passages that rise and fall like ocean tides cresting over and then crashing upon a concrete yet impossibly intricate rhythmic foundation. The titular track - once again I'm reminded of the aforementioned Emperor as haunting chorales overlay scaling guitar riffs just before Dissection-like tremolo melodies and blast-beats unfold. A true Swedish black metal album through and through: crisp, ethereal and intoxicatingly melodic in the vein of "Far Away From the Sun" (Sacramentum), but aggressively riff-driven in homage to "Storm of the Light's Bane" (Dissection), particularly during the following track, "Before The Crows Have Their Feast", as I'm reminded of legendary Dissection cuts like "Night's Blood" and "Unhallowed".

What I adore most about Fasornas Tid are its mid-tempo'd and martially rhythmic parts - "Savage Messiah" and "Black Angel" - nourishing in their palatability and indicative of a higher understanding of what true Swedish black metal enthusiasts are really looking for in an album. Soloing is another high water mark; each lead is tailor made for every track they belong to. No ten minute long snoozers and no bleeding heart heritage pieces, just a well-balanced, intelligently arranged record that never gets stale, pretentious or overtly gaudy. Ah, just fucking right. The sweet spot hit and in more ways than one.

With Fasornas Tid, Mörk Gryning have set a practically unreachable bar and have released what is, in my opinion, a top-three black metal album of the year recording. Released right at the tail end of what's been another fine year for the genre. What a way to close out the annual! What a brilliant black metal album. I hold Fasornas Tid in the highest regard along with their debut as one of this band's crowning achievements. A testament to the unyielding power of true melodic black metal done properly.

Rating: 10 out of 10