Celebrity Spotify Playlist: Myrkur’s Black Metal vs. Classical Playlist
We’re way into Myrkur, the mysterious one-woman Danish black metal act, who it turns out is the brainchild of Amalie Bruun of NYC indie pop duo Ex Cops. While the second-wave black metal influences she cites should be obvious from listening to her music, it’s no surprise that classical music has played a big part in her sonic upbringing as well. And so Myrkur’s entry into MetalSucks Idol Listening column appropriately features both black metal and classical, with a few of her own tunes sprinkled in for reference. Check out her playlist below, along with explanations for the inclusion of each track.
1. Myrkur – “Ravnens Banner”
2. Enslaved – “Loke”
Enslaved are from Bergen, Norway, a place where I feel very at home, and the music of Enslaved captures the brutality and beauty of the Norwegian nature. “Loke” is a song for the character Loke of Norse Mythology, who is half Jætte and half God. I particularly enjoy the aggressive drumming of this song, as well as the frozen minor guitars melodies.
3. Kvist – “Vettenetter”
Kvist’s “Vettenetter” is a melancholy and melodic song, which takes my thoughts to epic battles fought in the past by vikings.
4. Wilhelm Stenhammar – “Tre Korvisor September”
Next is Stenhammer’s version of a poem by J.P. Jacobsen. It rings so eerie and pure and dark to me.
5. Mayhem – “Ancient Skin”
Mayhem’s “Ancient Skin” is simply evil and fury turned into a song. The guitar sounds are unpleasant, and the progressions of these classic Mayhem minor chord patterns have become one of my favorites of this band. Those maniac vocals truly sound like a mental illness that wants to get inside your mind and make you destroy everything around you.
6. Edvard Grieg – “Opus 63 To Nordiske Melodier (no. 1 i folketone stil)”
Edvard Grieg is my favorite composer of all time. No one speaks more to my heart. His works are romantic, evil, brutal, melancholic, pure and simply the essence of Nordic sound. I have not chosen to put a classic song from Peer Gynt [by Henrik Ibsen] on this list, although some would argue that depicts [Ibsen’s] work best. Instead, here is one of the most beautiful peaces of music I have ever known.
7. Myrkur – “Latvian Feguro”
8. Friedrich Kuhlau – “Elverhøj (Op. 100: Act I:Overture)”
I felt I needed to put “Elverhøj” by Friedrich Kuhlau on this list, although it’s slightly cliche. It is, after all, Denmark’s national play and it features songs that are considered our national anthem (“Kong Christian stod bed Højen Mast”). It is an epic work from the play Elverhøj, and I imagine if it were played with more aggressive instrumentation it could be made into a black metal song.
9. Dissection – “Where Dead Angels Lie”
In my opinion this is a melodic black metal masterpiece.
10. Edvard Greig – “De Norske Fjeld as performed by Grex Vocalis on Edvard Grieg Choral Music ‘7 Barnlige sange’”
To close it off I have chosen perhaps the most Nordic song there is, one of Edvard Grieg’s childrens’ choral songs performed by a beautiful, pure choir of Norwegian girls.
