Interview:	MORTEM
Title:	In-depth artistry

Now that’s what you call an unconventional bio: plucked from the unholy baptismal font in the late 1980s, the Norwegian Black Metal pioneers first released a cult demo, before going on to release a single in 2019, followed by their debut album.

Now its equally successful follow-up, „Mørketid“, is out to find dark souls willing to embrace it, with musicians from Mayhem and 1349 raging through the line-up.

And there’s an interesting explanation for their long hiatus; after all, Mortem were – or rather are – the forerunners of the now world-famous Arcturus, and they were also involved with Thorns.

As the band’s co-founder and singer, Marius Vold, explains with poisonous voice, the band’s spirit has evolved quite naturally over time and with experience.

Congrats on the new album - it’s got it all, I feel blessed! Formed in 1988/88/89? … that was quite a while ago… reformed in the mid-90s… and now you're back with such a truly strong album - an impressive and inspiringly obscure history, I’d say. How has the band’s spirit evolved over the years, and where do you see yourselves today among all the thousands of similar bands? 


„Thank you - we truly appreciate those words. I think the spirit of the band has evolved naturally with time and experience. The aggression and darkness are still there, but today there is also more depth, atmosphere, and reflection in the music. As for where we see ourselves today among thousands of similar bands - honestly, we are aware that we actually ARE among thousands of similar bands.“

Have you been completely inactive in the scene as Mortem since your 1989 demo „Slow Death” up until your debut album? If so, why? Arcturus, on the other hand, has really accomplished a lot …

„Yes, that’s correct. Nothing happened in Mortem during those years, until one day… about 30 years later, we met up, and started again. There has been a few requests, but the main reason we re-united, was Steinar’s dream of playing guitar again, and playing more aggressive music than Arcturus.“

How does it feel right now, knowing that lots of people out there will be enjoying the new songs?

„It feels great! I really hope people will enjoy our new album. I’m looking forward to meeting our fans out there, hopefully singing along.“

„Ravnsvart“ came out in 2019, the covid year. Did the pandemic even manage to disrupt your already detached and laid-back work style? And, as self-proclaimed individualists, you aren't exactly the most socially active people anyway, are you? 



„How rude!!! Hahaha… YES! ‚Ravnsvart‘ unfortunately drowned in Covid, and most of the shows and tours were canceled before we even got started properly. Socially active…. We are socially active enough!“

How has the musical style of the band evolved since then, and what do you particularly like about it at the moment?


„We have turn it up a notch, it is more aggressive. It beats harder and faster. More layers. What I like most, we have actually completed the album, in spite all other projects and personal obstacles during these past years.“

How do you see and evaluate this new output within your musical journey and what would you like to say about the new release in direct comparison to the previous longplayer? 


„I see this new release as a natural progression in my musical journey. I think it captures a broader range of my deeper feelings, ideas and it feels more confident than my previous writing. Lyrically, ‚Mørketid‘ largely deals with the same themes as ‚Ravnsvart - war, murder, fear, and religious oppression. Musically, the process of creating ‚Mørketid‘ has probably been longer and more demanding than it was with ‚Ravnsvart‘. The riffs are more advanced and a notch sharper.“

How good and how close synchronized is the current chemistry between you and the other musicians in Mortem? „We are band members. We have separate lives. But we are friends. The chemistry is great when we are together.“

Except for bassist Tor, the three of you in Mortem are really seasoned veterans in the band - what were some of the most important experiences, lessons, and insights you gained along the way? 


„Just to inform you; Tor has left the building… (band), and the new bassist are: Nagash, he is not playing on the album, but will be performing with us on stage. Well… experiences, lessons and insights… nothing last forever.“

When you look back on all your experiences since you started out as a musician, what has changed the most in your attitude toward (black) metal?

„I wish it was dirty, like in the old days. I don’t like it has become so commercial. Even though we benefit from it. There are to many bands out there, that sounds the same.“

„Skyggeånd”: I’m already totally blown away on the first listen - Marius' vocals, in particular, are so intense and compelling. The song is absolutely captivating because the composition is original and catchy, and the instrumental performance by you seasoned pros is simply wonderful. What do you think of this song?

„Thank you. It’s one of my favorites. For me the lyrics have a special meaning. The lyrics are about fighting your own inner demons. and what happens if I lose? Musically, I like that it's more down to earth, more catchy. I would say this one has a bit more of the modern ‚old school‘ structure of black metal.“

„The Mighty Odious" contains some Arcturus nuances, great, love it. What do you wanna tell the readers about?

„This is a very good song. Which hits you in the face from the very beginning. It’s hard and brutal. The lyrics are about freeing yourself from religion, just to discover that there is only a new religion coming, which could be much worse. Arcturus nuances... yes.... it's hard to avoid, with the same composer.“

How was the selection of songs for the album done - was it difficult or rather easy for the band? 


„Once we finally had enough material for the album, it wasn't that difficult. It was just a matter of getting the songs in the right order.“

How can readers picture the process of how you write, develop, and finish one of your new songs? And were there any ups and downs along the way this time?

„I can only speak for the writing process. This is how I do it: I collect key words and sentences. Little stories, etc. over a long period of time. Some of the lyrics I can quickly develop a verse on, but it can take a long time to develop an entire song. Other times I have a theme I am more passionate about, and then the process can often go faster. Other times again, the lyrics come to me when I hear a new composition from Steinar. I often spend a long time on a lyric. They are not always coherent, in some cases they are almost independent sentences. but these mean something to me… The structure is not necessarily correct (grammatical) because I can have present, future and past tense in the same sentence. and turn the sentence backwards, if this makes sense to me. The first lyrics for the new album were ready in 2019. The last lyrics were ready 4 weeks before we recorded it in studio 2025. No, there have been no notable ups or downs.

You’re all experienced and talented musicians in the band — given your strong egos, does that make working together more difficult, or is it actually easier because you’re all pulling together toward a shared vision?

„It’s mostly Steinar and I working together. Steinar is the composer and I am the lyricist. Hellhammer and Tor coming to the studio when we ask them to. Because we are only two who make all the decisions, it becomes easier to collaborate.“

What is the essence of your unique vision behind the album title „Mørketid”, „Dark Time“? A title that remains remarkably apt even today …

„‚Mørketid‘ stands for a time that has been, a time that is present, and a time that is to come. Every era has had its dark times. It's a bit of a coincidence that we're in one right now, in terms of the release of ‚Mørketid‘, considering what's going on around the world today, this expression fits particularly well.“

What was your experience of the recording process for the new output from start to finish?

„It was a difficult birth, which took a very long time. Because of all these projects - new Arcturus album, rehearsals for The Kovenant tour, 1349 on long tours and starting Stigma Diabolucum (old Thorns). All this took a lot of time and energy from all of us. So Mortem was put on the sidelines a bit. But, we managed it in the end, and we are proud of the result.“

Anything you would like to add?

„Mortem has got a new lineup for shows and tours: New session drummer: Jeremie Malezieux and a new session bass player: Nagash (The Kovenant). Astennu plays solo guitar on our new album, but will NOT be playing with us on shows/tours.“


© Markus Eck, 26.06.2026

Photo Credit: Mortem

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