Danish band MØL are a name I have often observed when reading about the blackgaze genre that I am increasingly drawn to. But for some reason my focus on their music has never fully materialised as it has for Deafheaven. With the news that the band were going to release a new album in 2026 entitled DREAMCRUSH, I was determined to pay attention. It seems the album pushed the band emotionally as unspecified life setbacks brought out their best writing. Determined not to make a bleak album the band set about writing some songs of hope to help extricate any dark feelings.
Over the span of this stellar album Ken Lund Klejs (drums), Holger Rumph Frost (bass), Sigurd Kehlet and Nicolai Busse (guitars) and vocalist Kim Song Sternkopf have created some wonderful music. Kim’s vocal performance is very special as he switches from a black metallic shriek to guttural growls, and a tender clean singing voice with consummate ease. It actually sounds like there’s more than one vocalist such is his impressive range. Add to that the fact that he sings in both his native Danish and also in English.
Opening with ‘DREAM’ the droning synths float with an uplifting little intro before a squeal of feedback drops in the driving beats and waves of guitars. Ending with a crisp barrage of riffs the opener flings song structure convention to the wind in the most glorious way. ‘Små Forlis’ switches betwixt black metal blasts and clean passages in the most natural feeling way. The tempo changes flow into one another smoothly. ‘Young’ brings the first anthemic tones as the guitars ring out a triumphant melody before charging straight into heavy riffage and battering drums. A cracking mini solo and bridge section tees up the seismic chorus nicely, and at last we can marvel at the band’s perfect fusion of black metal and melodic gazey guitars. Glorious. Crisply picked guitars and a tender clean vocal start the dreamy ‘Hud’. Stripping away the distortion Kim’s dry rasp sounds a little exposed, but no less demonic. The guitars swing like wrecking balls when they bring the heft as Ken drops thunderous beats.
Album highlight ‘Garland’ has a beauty of a verse and an even better chorus that has me grinning with every play. Such a pleasing sequence of chords fused with Kim’ s perfectly pitched shrieks. The technical playing in the instrumental section is jaw droppingly good and powers on at a blistering pace. Spacious synths usher in the tender ‘Favour’ for some brief respite. The gorgeous guitar tones are yearning and dreamy before a blazing passage of slowed down black metal engulfs you. Feeling an emotional swell the beautiful instrumental passage that emerges is just stunning with a wondrously over-the-top solo.
‘A Former Blueprint’ reminds me so much of Doves with a choppy beat, Kim’s husky holler and some chiming guitars. That comparison gets smashed when the growling begins over some manic blast beats, yet the song retains a pleasing sheen. The guitars at the start of ‘Dissonance’ jangle with a spright melody as Kim’s dreamy vocals harmonise and blend before erupting into the metallic chorus and all that entails. ‘Mimic’ delivers a series of knockout blows after the wham bam drum start and powers on at full speed with some scorching solos for good measure. Finally, ‘CRUSH’ rattles with a staccato riff and beat combination before stretching out for the chorus with a crushing wave of distortion and pummelling beats. A sky-scraping one note guitar solo is incredibly effective as the riffs underneath do the heavy lifting. The big finale of blast beats and swathes of guitars provides a really satisfying bookend from the opening song.
Last year Deafheaven had wrapped up my album of the year with an incredible album showing there’s more to come from the blackgaze genre. MØL have been on the go for almost the same timespan yet have never quite transcended the lofty heights of their San Francisco brethren. My expectations for DREAMCRUSH were through the roof and the album doesn’t disappoint me at all. The songs are well written and have enough dynamics throughout to keep the listener engaged. Now that MØL have their hooks in me, I’ll be checking out their back catalogue to see what I’ve missed out on. DREAMCRUSH is a triumphant, emotional and vibrant album that should bring the band many new fans with its perfect fusion of black metal and melody.
