2021 sees the underground Danish Black Metal band MOLOK back with their fifth release, "Skær". Just the artwork is enough to transport you back into the early 90s, where Black Metal bands were using extreme imagery to provoke reactions. But here the similarities end. MOLOK is cacophonous, chaotic, and unruly, and their new release shows just that.

"Fald" slowly fades in on gossamer wings, a celestial choir slowly building up to a climax. Suddenly, turbulent and fast-paced guitars and drums burst the ether, swirling around you in a tumultuous melody. Frequent changes in tempo and melody make the song even more unpredictable, as do the abrupt changes of influences. One moment there's frenetic Thrash elements thrown in, the next there are down-paced despondent sections of suicidal Black Metal, before soaring into more epic sections. Dirty rasped vocals give the music a belligerent feeling. And this is just the tip of the ice-berg. "Pint" is even more cacophonic, although the general pace is a bit more mid-range. At the pinnacle of the album, we have "Svin", which starts out with a chunky bass-line and a slower pace, overlaid with a German debate on religious views. A veritable deluge of drumming half-way through gives the song a frantic and frenetic feel, while the guitars blend in a more Black Metal atmosphere. "Sovs" takes a more mid-tempo approach, once again melding together an unpredictable slurry of erratic styles. The final song "Pest", however, ends the album with a bang. This is the longest song on the album, and it is here that MOLOK really outdo themselves, constantly weaving in and out between styles, creating a mayhem of madness, from Smooth Jazz sections all the way through to almost Punk-like influences.

Overall, "Skær" is a turbulent release, in which abrupt and unpredictable transitions are the only constant. Interspersing two shorter songs between three longer ones adds to the anarchic feel of "Skaer", making it's hour-long inundation pass by in a blur. The production is clear and crisp, allowing the chaos to really blossom forth. This lack of structure throughout certainly makes MOLOK's music unique, although the constant lack of direction can be a bit cumbersome at times, making subsequent listens drag a bit. Whilst most will undoubtedly prefer their music with a bit more melody, if you prefer the erratic, eccentric and eclectic, "Skær" might be just the thing for you.