Amazon.com
Hard to tell how seriously we're supposed to take Mortiis. Given his appearance--Viking helmet, pointy prosthetic nose, white makeup, black eyeliner, flowing black hair--it seems as though he's a laugh-out-loud parody of all things goth. That he has a shady background as a onetime member of the anti-Christian black-metal band Emperor only adds to the fun. How jarring, then, that the music he makes is actually...amazing. Totally original in approach,
Født til å Herske ("Born to Rule") forsakes song structure entirely and presents two 25-minute suites of beautifully epic keyboard composition. Mortiis calls it "dark dungeon music," but you also get the sense that he's aiming for something aboveground--heroic symphonies that conjure up images of Norse warriors carrying the bodies of their wounded comrades across the fjords. Despite its repetitive structures, it's an immensely satisfying and inspiring listen. At the very least, it's great soundtrack music for reading Icelandic sagas or looting and pillaging small English villages.
--Steve Landau
Product Description
Mortiis back catalogue campaign focusing on the early albums from one of Earache's most successful artists Three albums receive the re-issue treatment 'Født til A Herske', 'Crypt of the Wizard' and 'The Stargate' All of the albums have been personally remastered by ortiis himself Each of the albums will be housed in an embossed slipcase sleeve featuring the famous 'snake' motif in different colours; gold for 'Født til A Herske', green for 'Crypt of the Wizard' and purple for 'The Stargate' All albums feature extensive interview liner notes written by etal Hammer UK journalist Tommy Udo. Both 'Født til A Herske' and 'Crypt of the Wizard' feature different artwork to the original Earache versionsMortiis is a former member of Emperor, playing and writing on the band's legendary 'In the Nightside Eclipse' debut Having left Emperor and Black Metal's infamous 'inner circle', Mortiis embarked on a solo career utilising extreme prosthetic make up and embracing an ambient-led sound. Earache.
--This text refers to an alternate
Audio CD
edition.