The French black metal combo Myrkvid released this 25-minute EP of theirs a few months back and offer raw, murky black metal that brings to mind early Gorgoroth and the first wave of Norwegian black metal in general. The six songs that constitute the record are quite old-school in terms of atmosphere, arrangements, and riffs. It almost feels as if one is listening to a textbook example of how to evoke straightforward and stereotypical black metal with conventional song structures that pose absolutely no challenge to the listener.

 

There is nothing wrong with somewhat primitive music inspired by the pioneers of old such as Bathory, Burzum, Darkthrone, and the aforementioned Gorgoroth, but despite the fact that “Demons Are Inside” is anything but innovative or original, what really frustrates me about this one is that these guys are obviously capable musicians and yet Myrkvid have no sound or musical identity of their own. There are some decent melodies and rather melancholy parts to be found here and there, but this is essentially by-the-numbers black metal that never rises above the mediocre. The cover rendition of Bathory’s “The Return of Darkness and Evil” is pretty cool though.

 

https://digital.immortalfrostproductions.com/album/demons-are-inside