Mykorrhiza - Northern Remembrance

Published Feb. 13 2007

*=Staff's pick	Release My Aggression Fake Identity* Hate* Chosen One Voodoo Master Entering* Eternal Recreation Demonic World Weak* Against You All

Genre	Death/Thrash Metal	Anders Strokirk	Vocals
Tracks	10	Lars Levin	Guitar
Runningtime	52 Min.	Henrik Brynolfsson	Guitar
Label	Konqueror Records	Henrik Brynolfsson	Bass
Release	12 Oct. 2006	Martin Karlsson	Drums
Country	Sweden	-	Keyboard
Similar artists	---

Swedish band Mykorrhiza has since their last release Shattered Dreams (2003) been in sporadically recording sessions at Black Syndicate studios to finish the latest work, Northern Remembrance. Just as Shattered Dreams, Northern Remembrance is released through Konqueror Records. Mykorrhiza is a quite new band to me but after a quick check in the line-up I realise that these guys aren't exactly new in the game. Both vocalist Lars Leven and Henrik Brynolfsson (bass and guitar) were in the early nineties busy doing filthy death metal with Excruciate. Martin Karlsson (drums) has been involved in Bloodshed and Anders Strokirk (vocals) has a past in Necrophobic and is also responsible for Blackshine.

Mykorrhiza's metal is an explosive flavour bomb with lots of varied and different elements. As a solid ground there is the traditional Scandinavian style of death metal but above the black thick mass they have added portions of groovy thrash and heavy metal elements. Mainly the music is quite innovative with great arrangements, especially the vocals. Dark hellish growls together with clean vocals that for once really works and sounds right. Usually arrangements like these seems to be added just for the cause but Mykorrhiza seem to have a purpose with almost everything in their music. The tempo tends to slow down a bit too much in some songs, not really necessary cause almost every riff seems to be based upon really groovy scales. Good variation on the faster tracks as Fake Identity, Hate and Weak. There are some songs that really work great and feels fresh even though the style is anything but innovative, but Mykorrhiza do their thing with style and finesse. Sadly this cant be said about all songs as there are some tracks that feel way too sleepy and grey. Besides this, Northern Remembrance sounds like a pretty well oiled machinery.

The vocals are as I said good. I'm not hundred percent sure about the arrangements on vocals as it seems to be a sharing between Anders Strokirk and Lars Levin, but frankly I don't care as it sounds like both of them have done a good job. There are arrangements and passages usually with cool old-school melody building, and that bare witness of good song writing. Perhaps some songs would have gained with more aggression and attack but the constant melancholy misery that surrounds the songs forgives the failure.

I wont praise this album to the sky as Northern Remembrance has its ups and downs, at its best times it is really good and some times the material aint simply enough interesting. All in all an ok album that has it highlights.

Performance	Originality	Production	Vocals	Songwriting
7	6	6	7	7

Summary
7 chalices of 10 - Tim