Devil's Gate Music
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Thank You”, or a quiet introduction of a song, was pretty much it. The connection between artist and audience meant that was unnecessary though, as her sheer presence meant your attention couldn’t wander for a second. At times, Myrkur played a guitar that took the axe metaphor to a new level, looking as though, if one edge were to be sharpened, it could be used to take the heads off an attacking horde. My personal highlight of the second half of the performance was latest release “Juniper”. A perfect example of what Myrkur are about, it begins with crystal clear vocals that soar from the stage, then moves into a dark, droning passage, and finally explodes into a riff that almost physically pushes you back. It is a real showcase of how Myrkur blends sounds that span hundreds of years. The set would usually close with the extraordinarily tribal “Villemann Og Magnhild”, a kulning that sends Myrkur’s haunting voice floating out of the venue, but tonight the band left the stage, and after a lot of chanting and clapping from the crowd, didn’t reappear. I had noticed at several points Bruun held her throat with the occasional wince, although her vocals were incredible at all times, so I wonder whether this one last gymnastic was pulled to save her voice for another day (rightly so, if that were the case). For me to shoot a gig in Bristol is a two hour drive, and normally I would be struggling to stay awake on the late night drive back to Devon, but I was so full of adrenaline I was home before I knew it and struggling to sleep! I have covered a lot of gigs this year, but, amongst them all, this stood out as something truly special and unique. Myrkur brings something new and fresh whilst at the same time, ancient and tribal. The contrast and resulting sound absolutely fascinates me. Review and photos: Rob Wilkins [gallery type='flickr' user_id='132278830@N06' view='photosets' photoset_id='72157704819052475' media='photos' columns='3' tag_mode='any' sort='date-posted-desc' per_page='49' layout='square' caption='title' thumb_size='s' main_size='z' ]]]>
