Født til å herske

In my last review, I called Mortiis's demo "The Song of a Long Forgotten Ghost" a great start to the then-new dungeon synth genre. In that review, I also stated that Håvard would release his debut album "Født til å herske" just a year later and expanded his sound. Well that was kind of an understatement. If his debut demo brought you into a world of misery, "Født til å herske" will take you out of there and bring you into the true medieval world. If the demo didn't put Mortiis into the spotlight, then this album definitely did.

The album only has one song that is split into two parts. What makes it different from the previous demo, however, is the production. The rough, noisy sound of the demo is now replaced with a more clean and polished sound. The synths also have more of an echo sound on them, so they sound more melodic. The overall atmosphere of the song is less depressing, and has a more sincere tone to it. This atmosphere is a bit stronger in the first part though, as the melodies in that part are more sweet and calming. All of this is combined to make the atmosphere of "Født til å herske" feel more poignant and angelic.

But what makes this album stand out from the demo is the vocals. The vocals are only on the second part of the song, and they don't appear until around the 18 minute mark, but they sound amazing. Håvard's vocals are deep, but the tone of the voice is powerful and grandiloquent. The lyrics are also great, as when translated, it's about a spirit who created a land to rule and look after. The lyrics are descriptive on what the forests look like, and the tone of the lyrics give it more of a cold and bitter feel. The vocals also flow well with the instruments, as they play and long, slow, and sorrowful melody. The execution of this part is amazing, and it remains one of my favorite parts in the entire album.

While this album is slightly shorter than the demo, its execution is better. The production is more pure, and the instruments are in a higher quality. The melodies are more versatile, and the vocals are heavenly. Overall, this album is an absolute masterpiece, and it is a must-have for those who love dungeon synth.