Like the previously mentioned bands, Myrkur plays a very bright style of black metal that focuses on beauty rather than the ugliness and hate that the genre so often embraces. Melodic, tremolo riffs are the name of the game here not unlike the black metal material from Alcest. Intermittent folksy passages and infrequent bouts of dirtier black metal riffs attempt to round out the sound, but it’s clear that greater emphasis was given to the cleaner elements of the EP. The most unusual aspect of the EP is the vocals. Instead of typical black metal shrieks or rasps, Myrkur’s vocals are almost entirely angelic female choirs. Placed high in the mix, this singing is given the spotlight on the album, for better or worse. There’s little to criticize in the execution of the singing, but having the entire album utilize this style drains it of its appeal. Ok, yes, there are a couple moments of black metal vocals on the EP, but they’re just wordless screams and add up to about ten seconds. The point being that this singing combined with the bright guitar work effectively neuters this album. “Nattens Barn” is the only track that attempts to balance the beauty out with some more aggressive riffing, but even then the lighter elements are overpowering. The rest of the EP feels like an exercise in black metal for people who don’t really get black metal. Sure, instrumentally it’s basically black metal, but it lacks the strength and conviction that makes good black metal so powerful.

Basically, my problem with this EP is that there was no attempt to balance out the lighter material. The reason Alcest succeeded on Écailles de lune is because there existed a darkness to act as a counterpoint. The total lack of darkness on Myrkur leaves the EP a saccharine pastiche of a legitimate black metal album. The frustrating thing is that there are some legitimately good riffs and ideas on this album that are ruined by this. There’s clearly talent here, and it’s sad to see it squandered.