Listen: Myrkur’s Stark, Sparkling Live Album

We can hope that it becomes as common as concert DVDs and remix albums: the redux album. It’s an artist’s second expression of already-released material, a different path from the same starting point, a retelling of a revered tale. It doesn’t stop at deconstruction the way an unplugged album leaves you cold; think expansive reimaginings by Katatonia and Monster Magnet, the entire dub genre and now black metal’s Myrkur, whose spooky, sparse live album (below) is out tomorrow, August 20th.

Taken from a small live event staged inside a freaking tomb, Mausoleum contains performances of seven songs from M (one of last year’s mandatory albums), a rad compilation jam, and a Bathory song recast as dark hymnals, and adorned only by one ace support musician and a girls choir. Otherwise, Myrkur’s Amalie Bruun is a lonely voice and deft arranger unguarded by BM squall and more than arm’s length from the vibe of extreme metal.

Again: Every single artist should let loose an album-length reinterpretation every few years, heavier or lighter, more elemental or deeper, straighter or more quirky, higher or drunker. Whatever. Crank it up!!

Myrkur’s Mausoleum live album is out tomorrow via Relapse. Get it here and here.