NORDISK KRIM

Tusmørke followed their children's album Bydyra with Fjernsyn i Farver which was back to the more mature music style and subject matter. They recorded a second children's album with Leker for Barn, Ritualer for Volksne and you can't think of a more 180 turn than to their followup Nordisk Krim. It's because it's full of gory and gruesome lyrics worthy of countless death and black metal bands. The concept behind the album stems from the Momrak brothers visits to Danish museums during their childhood depicting dead bodies in bogs from ancient ritual sacrifices. Seems this practice was done all over ancient Europe, and they mention several important remains including Lindow Man in England (which I knew about in the 1980s BBC TV series The Celts, which features a pre-fame Enya providing music) on the song "Moss Goddess". Anyways this is perhaps their most grand and epic album they've ever done, with the most creepy and graphic lyrics they've ever delivered! The Momrak brothers Benediktator (Benedikt) and Krizla (Kristoffer) are present as always, with HlewagastiR (that is Martin Nordrum Kneppen of Wobbler on drums). and with Lars Fredrik Frøislie absent, we get Haugebonden Gode Gullstein on keyboards, who has a much more scaled-down gear setup, sticking mainly to a couple of synths, Hammond organ, and Mellotron (likely an M4000D which is not tape-driven but sampler keyboard that samples Mellotron, kind of like if M-Tron was a standalone keyboard instead of a computer app). Plus we get Åsa Ree on violin, who also appeared on Wobbler's new release Dwellers of the Deep. With music clicking at over 80 minutes this is a double album in every way and I believe this is the lengthiest release they ever done. The first three cuts are the most accessible, with "Age of Iron Man" being their idea of a "hit single" (but never sacrificing their dignity, thankfully) and a promo video was made ahead of the album's release. As usual the video is very interesting and the band always inserting their humor in their videos. "Mumia" sounds like Tusmørke in a nutshell as it's very typical for them. "Dog's Flesh" is an instrumental piece and a really eerie sounding piece. They really get trippy here towards the end where I can see comparisons to Krautrock being made here. Then comes "Moss Goddess". I don't know if it was intentional but I swear in parts of the song they're spoofing the lyrics to Cat Stevens' "The First Cut is the Deepest" with lyrics that go "The last gasp is the deepest / Death's kiss is the sweetest" Regardless if the band had "The First Cut is the Deepest" or not recording this piece I can't help but think they're parodying the song in regards to ritual sacrificial bog victims in Denmark. Plus they reference several major remains (including the ones in Denmark including I presume the ones they seen in childhood) asking if they died for nothing. "Et Moselik" and "Hoksejakt" are the only two songs song in their native Norwegian, the latter being a rather upbeat piece which seems strange giving the morbid nature of the lyrics to the album. The final is the 17 minute "(The Marvelous and Murderous) Mysteries of Sacrifice" clocks in at 17 minutes and I really dig those flute passages and the narrations. The narration really sends chills to my spine. Most of the rest of this piece consists of jamming. In conclusion this is a really amazing album, but it's also not the most accessible. As the album progresses the songs get longer and weirder. This is truly the band at their most grand and epic. Plus those lyrics are certain to drive away dinner company. This album really comes highly recommended!

Update: Repeated listens only review how such an amazing album this really is. It really grew on me. I'd even go as far as saying this is their crowning achievement, with some of the finest material they ever presented us. I've noticed a stronger VdGG vibe in the music this time around. I'd even give this a five star rating if it weren't for the fact it's not exactly the most accessible album out there. It's sort of like Harmonium's L'Heptade in that manner, a very difficult to get into masterpiece (although of course they're very different). Both double albums. If you got scared off Tusmørke because of one of their children's albums, you need to reconsider them as those were just a couple of untypical side-projects. Nordisk Krim may not be for Tusmørke newbies (try Underjordisk Tusmørke, Ført Bak Liset, or Fjernsyn I Farver first) but for an epic adventurous ride this is just what you need!