Screaming Bloody Oranges, Episode #12: Mork’s Thomas Eriksen on Cathedrals of Lost Souls and Black Metal Podcasting
It’s been a fair bit of time since our last podcast interview, which aired back in November with the very gracious Andrew Lee (Ripped to Shreds/Houkago Grind Time/more). No time better than the present, then, to rekindle this aspect of our programming as we extend our technological reach out to the infamously wintery black-metal-inspiring lands of Norway to chat with Thomas Eriksen of Mork. While Mork is a four piece live band (when live performances can occur), Eriksen is the lone founder and composer of the project, having started well over a decade ago. He’s now on the precipice of releasing his fifth full length album, Katedralen.
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Back in the “great before times,” when bands could play live without the fear of spreading the worst plague to hit humanity in a century, I actually got to meet and chat with Eriksen in person after Mork’s debut US performance at Psycho Las Vegas 2019. Their uniquely melancholic yet ferocious evolution on Norwegian black metal’s storied sound, especially of the isolated and rarely playing live sort, was a thrilling experience to wake up to around noon after a day of already punishing festival antics. The interview I conducted later in the day was my very first feature piece for Invisible Oranges and I look back on it still with a chest full of pride. I also recall us crossing paths a number of times during the rest of the day while witnessing all the other great bands performing.
Eriksen and I stayed in touch since then, and it was with great pleasure that we were able to hold an even more extensive chat where we discussed not only his upcoming album but a range of topics including his own turn as a podcaster during the Covid age. His connections to the Norwegian metal scene have allowed him to interview numerous important figures from there and around the world, including Gaahl (Gaahl’s Wyrd, ex-Gorgoroth, etc), Silenoz (Dimmu Borgir), and both members of the legendary Darkthrone. Tune in as we dive into some bone-chilling riffs and hearty warm laughs with one of the leading figures of contemporary Norwegian black metal.
–Joe Aprill
Stream the episode here or see below for other ways to listen:
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Katedralen will release via Peaceville Records on March 5th.
You can check out The Thomas Eriksen Podcast on the Mork homepage and on most podcasting platforms.
Listen and subscribe to Screaming Bloody Oranges: The Invisible Oranges Podcast on the following platforms: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Podbean
