Morvigor - De Spiegel (full EP, 2024)
For all of its colonial crimes and its important role in imperialist politics nowadays, it's a fact that the Netherlands have been for a long time one of the places where the arts have been the most developed in capitalism. This might be most obvious in the visual arts, with such unavoidables as Rembrandt, Hieronymous Bosch, Vermeer and of course the mighty Van Gogh, but it is also true of other fields, including music and metal - and maybe particularly black metal, as Terzij de Horde, Fluisteraars and Grey Aura, among MANY others, demonstrate. Morvigor, today's feature on our Network, is yet another example, and one that should REALLY be better known - and like the ones we mentioned, they are also rather experimental and atmospheric. There are abrasive post-black crescendos here, sure, but also acoustic passages, clean vocals and melodic passages in a way that is more "proggy" than what the term usually implies, sort of a concoction of Borknagar with newer bands like Gaerea with generous doses of "Dutchness". The cover, painted by artist Frank Stolwijk, is another example of that, and with the lyrics helps bring in even more the listener into this whole aura of existentialism and emotion; indeed, the band christens itself "expressive black metal", and the label really does give an idea of what to listen to here. The only problem is "De spiegel" is it's too short at only two tracks and around 20 minutes, because we really wanted more!
