Mortem Mørketid Review
Mortem
Mørketid
Peaceville Records
2026
Unholy Black Metal Batman indeed… I’ve been getting my ass handed to me lately with a run of ferocious releases, and Mortem just adds another one to the pile.
Mortem is one of those bands that’s been around since the early Norwegian Black Metal days, yet somehow never quite got their due. They’ve always been there in the background, steady and consistent, but never really pushed to the front line where they probably belong. Their latest album, “Mørketid” is another reminder of exactly why they should be mentioned a lot more than they are.
What really hits you straight away is the production. This isn’t that murky, basement-level Black Metal sound a lot of people romanticize. “Mørketid” is sharp, clear, and powerful, but it still keeps that cold edge intact. Every instrument has space to breathe, and the riffs come through with real bite, equal parts aggression and melody, locked firmly into that classic Norwegian template without sounding like a museum piece.
And then you’ve got Hellhammer behind the kit, doing what Hellhammer does. It’s almost unfair at this point. The drumming is ridiculous in the best way - fast, precise, constantly shifting, but never feels like it’s showing off for the sake of it. He just drives the whole thing forward like only he can, and it gives the album a serious backbone.
If you’re into Emperor, Mayhem, and that whole early Norwegian wave, this is right in your wheelhouse. “Mørketid” doesn’t try to reinvent anything. It just hits hard, sounds massive, and reminds you that bands like Mortem were there from the start for a reason. They still deserve a lot more credit than they get, and this album doesn’t hurt that argument one bit.
Standouts – “The Mighty Odious”, “Aftermath”, “Skyggeånd “