Don’t think I haven’t appreciated how much black metal I had put into this year’s list. It’s either indicative of my current musical tastes or of where the current black metal scene is, or both. Norwegians Mork only emerged last decade but they already feel like mainstays of that country’s constantly burgeoning black metal scene. 

They label themselves as true Norwegian black metal and Dypet sticks pretty close to that ice-cold template that was forged in the early 90s by Mayhem, Emperor, etc. 

Whilst still malevolently evil, there is a raw beauty to this album. It seems to match the harsh rugged landscapes of Norway by being simultaneously treacherous and also oddly attractive. In the midst of the harshness there is deep contemplation to be found and in all this is an incredibly balanced record that painstakingly matches its corrosive with its introspection.