Music is and always will be subjective. That is why it is so unique and we all adore it. Sometimes, despite this subjectivity, there will be an artist who comes along and revolutionises the craft of songwriting, and that is exactly where the Norwegian dungeon synth, and former black metal legend Mortiis comes in. After getting kicked out of the legendary band Emperor, he discovered the sound he is now world renowned for. For three decades he worked on his craft and the results are in his tracks, each release just gets better and better, and his newest album, Ghosts of Europa, which has been in the making for six years, is no exception. This is a record that showcases the traditional dungeon synth sound only he could pull off, as well as his ability to collaborate with traditional and non-traditional singers, as well as multiple instrumentalists, creating an album unlike anything you will hear this year. Proving just how exceptional Mortiis is.
Ghosts of Europa kicks off with the title song. A song that starts off with a traditional dungeon synth sound before the first chorus commences, layered with an electronic drum beat in the background. The first verse who is sung by some of the reoccurring vocalists, in this case, Laurie Ann Haus who is famous for appearing on videogames such as World Of Warcraft, and Christopher Rakkestad. This leads to the second cinematic chorus again. This formula gets repeated, and after the third and final chorus, Mortiis gets the chance to show off his skill, as this is the main instrumental section in this song, and whilst simple, it is the perfect introduction into the world of dungeon synth, a genre that can be so easily enjoyed, especially for fans of movies and videogames.
The third track on the album is slightly darker. It starts off with some eerie sounding synths before the vocals creep in for the first time. After the first sung line, the synths build up into the first verse, whilst being matched with guitar chords and strums in the background. The first chorus begins right after this, and it is still gloomy, but the layering makes it sound incredibly powerful. The second verse is just as creepy as the first one, making the following chorus more haunting as a result. The bridge is where things pick up again, the distorted guitars are more noticeable, and the pace increases, before things slow down once more for the second half of the bridge, returning to the darker atmosphere of the verses, and this is how ‘The Faith That Fades Away’ ends, showcasing the duality of what Mortiis can create, as he can effortlessly craft mid to fast paced hard rock songs, as well as doomier, slower-paced tracks such as this.
The following song, ‘Violent Silence’ is the perfect videogame theme song. The electronic vocals come in almost instantly alongside the synths. The highlight here though, is the chorus, which features Rakkestad at his very best. The second verse is once again futuristic sounding with the electronic vocals, and synths, as well as drum machines. After the second verse, in what almost sounds like another verse, the bridge commences, and it is simplistic yet effective. The synths and drum machine beat are both the same as the verses, with slight altering to the vocal layerings, which segues into another chorus. What follows this, is one of the standout moments on the album, as a guitar solo begins, which ultimately leads into the track finishing, with each individual instrument building and building. Adding another layer of variety to this record.
Track six is easily the heaviest song on the album both in its structure and sound. The drums are thumping, and the guitars are loud throughout, but most importantly, the chorus is infectious, and once you first hear it, it will get drilled into your mind. The song starts off with a synth intro which you notice getting repeated throughout the song, before the guitars and drums join in. Then the vocals come in to start off the first verse. Here, between every two vocal lines, the synth melody from the intro gets repeated. The chorus in this song once again is a standout performance from Rakkestad, who really sounds as if he feels at home on this song. After the bridge which is once again rather basic, we get a final verse, which has the same melodies as the first couple of verses, but Mortiis knows how catchy the chorus on Tundra, Heart Of Hell is, as it gets repeated a second time to wrap the song up.
Farewell Romero is the album closer, and it sounds incredibly sombre. It is the funeral marking the end of this record. After the first verse and chorus, which are very slow and dark, the vocals reach a crescendo as Rakkestad starts yelling to add dynamics to the second verse. This is where the synths become more noticeable, as they are matched with the incredibly powerful yells. This is how the album ends, with a tiny synth solo after the incredibly long second verse. Giving Mortiis himself a chance to truly shine, just as his guests have throughout Ghosts of Europa.
This is a very diverse listen. It has rock songs, ballads, and electronic like dungeon synth tracks you would expect from the Norwegian legend. There is very little to critique throughout this listen, but there are so many featured artists on this album, it can be hard to identify who sings or plays which part on some of these songs, without spoiling anything. Mortiis himself provides a dungeon synth masterclass, as most vocalists are exceptional too.
Mortiis writes music that is so epic, any movie director would be stupid to not include his catalogue for their soundtracks. He is just that good at what he does, and this album proves it. Despite being in the works for so long, this is one of his most mature works to this date. It is clear that fans of gaming, or TV, or entertainment in general are partially the target audience here, and upon listening to this album, it is clear why. When one track comes on, you will just disappear into an alternate universe. One of which, you will not want to escape.
Mortiis: Ghosts of Europa – Out 26 June 2026 (Prophecy Productions)
– Tundra, Heart of Hell [Official Lyric Video]
