Let’s start with the history of MORK GRYNING as it lies in shadows before me… Well, more likely, with a history lesson – starting with a very beginning and ending with “Return Fire”, the latest CD you have unleashed so far, even though it’s not so fresh…

- MÖRK GRYNING is and has always been sort of a project. Therefore, we kind of always disappear when we’re not in the studio, since we don’t rehearse nor do any live shows (just ones, I forgot). We have our other bands, which demand a lot of energy so it’s not possible for us to go 100% with M.G. We’ve released the two albums + a two track demo before that (including the first and last song of “Tusen…”), unfortunately there’s not so much more to tell. Except that we recorded a couple of covers for Dwell Records forthcoming KREATOR and VENOM tributes.

There’re many reviews on MORK GRYNING products I’ve read and, what’s really strange, most of them define you as (let me make a quotation here) “yet one more Swedish black metal act, being inspired by DISSECTION, MARDUK and alikes, with no trace of originality at all”. Personally I consider MORK GRYNING rather an unorthodox band, to say the least…

- Yes, but we still have blast beats, screamy vocals, guitars and even a bass so I guess it’s not so strange people find similarities…

What if I’ll define you as some kind of a black metallish SLAYER? Will this definition suit you? At least few tracks of yours remind me a lot of tunes by Kerry King and co…

- Well, I think we caught a little of the SLAYER energy on ”Return Fire”, but else I don’t know… We just want to make music as far from the human boundries as possible.

What was the reason for inviting three (!) additional singers and two guitarists (“Return Fire” is what I’m talking about)? Couldn’t you afford doing everything yourselves?

- Afford..? I don’t think it would be more expensive to do it ourselves! But what the fuck, it’s always good with different minds on an album. And especially since we’re only 2, it can be refreshing with additional musicians.

I’ve heard you had some kind of a mess with No Fashion few years ago… and I want to know more (if you’d be so kind to make any comments, of course).

- I don’t know, we were a bit pissed it took over year to print t-shirts after they had made flyer where it said there were t-shirts and so on. No Fashion has never been late in paying us or anything, it’s just that they don’t give a fuck about the label. You know they have a lot of different labels, all under the banner of HOUSE OF KICKS.

You have changed recording studio with each album. Why so?

- We wanted to test out something new, and get a more own sound, which we against all odds managed to get in Sunlight!

Furthermore, wasn’t it you who said “I’ll never buy a demo recorded at Sunlight, everything sounds the same”? First you say this and then you attend Tomas’ place in order to get your stuff recorded there… uhm, weird.

- I don’t think I said “I’ll never”, but it was true at that time that a lot sounded the same from that studio. But when we recorded “Return Fire”, they had just changed location and expended the studio, so we thought it would be possible to maintain a sound of our own. Besides, there had never been a black metal band recording there before us.

It seems like you had few songs with lyrics written in your native language in the past…? Why didn’t you include any Swedish-written verses into “Return Fire” CD?

- Simply because it didn’t fit to the songs.

May I wonder if you still keep your work with Dark Dimension ‘zine? Furthermore, what about those rumours telling that you have reviewed your own demo, giving it a top rating, and also interviewed yourself? It was long time ago, but anyway what about giving me any kind of explanation?

- I hope you understand I’m a bit tired about this subject… The fact is: yes, we reviewed our own demo, giving it top rating and interviewed ourselves. We thought it was a cool thing to do, because no one knew who we were. Of course it was pretty immoral of us to do such an evil deed, but frankly… we didn’t give a fuck. And no, I don’t make Dark Dimension anymore, normal fanzines are out…

Both, you and Peter, take part in other either “bands” or “projects”… Tell us more on this subject (HYPOCRITE is the only one I’ve heard so far).

- I play with MORTIFER which I’ve done for so fucking long I can remember. The short story is that we recorded an album for the Austrian label Dark Matter Records in the beginning of 1998 but that weed smoking label manager has still not managed to release the album. We’re searching for a bigger label now. Peter and I have also WYVERN, which is heavy metal, but in a good way and not like STRATOVARIUS or other certain Scandinavian power metal acts… We release an album called “The Wildfire” 2 years ago but that was not a success. However we’ve just recorded a new one which is miles better. And no, we have not jumped on the power metal trend. We started the band in 1995 and in those days no one new of power metal.

Do you know anything regarding Russia? What is your attitude to the country of mine as well as it’s people? Any Russian bands you’ve heard lately?

- Well, ARIA is cool! And also KOROSIA METALLIA… something like that! Else I don’t know, but I think Russia should have a great potential breeding good black metal bands, if you look at your musical inheritance. With masters such as Modest Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky and Alfred Schnittke etc.

Hmm… whatta ‘bout finishing this interview and having a couple of beers ;)?

- Oh yes, please… And perhaps some Russian Vodka too.

MORK GRYNING contact -
Email: gothgorgon@hotmail.com