Hailing from the heart of Sweden — literally in Svealand — black metal duo MURG take heavy inspo from their surroundings. Whether it be the lush forests, the picturesque lakes, and the rich minerals in the ground, Vargher (vocals, drums, bass) and Urzul (guitars) have mined the environs of Bergslagen to fuel their despondent din.
Says MURG to Bardo Methodology: “I definitely believe that the relationship one has with the natural surroundings can affect the music. That’s the feeling we’re striving for, the raw and icy – it resonates how we feel and sounds like what nature looks like.”
Over the course of three albums — Strävan is the newest (out April 26th on Nordvis) — MURG have refined their vision, however. Whether it’s the rustic feel of Gudatall or the bone-raw black of debut Varg & Björn, the balance between is something that hasn’t eluded MURG it’s just something they’ve not employed until Strävan. Imagine Immortal’s At the Heart of Winter with a Swedish sense of brutality. Or, early Alcest done through the lens of Hordanes Land-era Enslaved. Really, there’s a sense of the ’90s imbued in MURG’s black; and that’s, frankly, right in our proverbial wheelhouse.
So, please, put on a jacket, grab a pickaxe, some dynamite, and maybe a canary, ’cause MURG are taking us deep into the caves of mid-country Sweden, where the coldest, darkest, and most scene black metal lives (and breathes). Should we not come back know this: whatever we’ve found or has found us, nature intended it to be so. Bring on “Altaret!”
