Formed in 1993 and led by the brother/sister duo of BP and Agnete
Kirkevaag, Madder Mortem have matured greatly since their obscure
'97 debut, Misty Sleep.
That MCD attracted the interest of Misanthropy Records, who
put out their proper debut, Mercury, before folding soon afterward.
The band also almost folded, but instead BP and Agnete recruited
three new members and have since released two outstanding albums in
All Flesh Is Grass
and Deadlands.
Musically, MM is somewhat in the atmospheric/goth field, though
with more breadth and versatility than others in that arena,
and a bit more groovy and rocky as well.
In several instances clear references to the mighty
The 3rd And The Mortal
can be heard, with MM taking the style found on TATM's early
work and melding it with a more traditional metal sound.
Agnete's vocals are wonderful -- not a soprano, but a more relaxed
yet emotive midrange voice that fully carries the tunes yet is never
overbearing.
Flesh and
Deadlands in particularly are outstanding
and highly recommended albums.
Four years and two member changes later, the band released
Desiderata, marking a slight shift in direction.
Agnete's vocals are still at the fore, and overall the general
feel isn't radically different, but there's decidedly less of a
gothic influence, and an increased downtuned guitar presence
gives the album almost a nu-metal feel at times.
The songwriting seems a bit quirkier, experimental at times, as
if the band might be in transition style-wise.
To these ears Desiderata isn't as developed as the prior two
albums, but this is still a great band.
Recent album: Old Eyes, New Heart,
released on January 26, 2024.
