Castles and metal have long been an essential pairing, but 2025 may just be the year of “castle metal.” A decade after its arguable aesthetic and musical inception with Obsequiae’s Aria of Vernal Tombs this year has seen releases from each and every one of the microgenres adherents, aside from the aforementioned progenitor of course. Namely Weald & Woe, Kaikkavaltias, and Veytik, all covered in some capacity over the course of the year by yours truly. Rounding out this crenellated cohort as we enter autumn is Minnesota solo act Morke and their new album To Carry On. Easily the closest in sound and spirit to the works of Obsequiae, this first full-length for Morke in the realm of castle metal (following the Forged in Steel and Love EP last year) heralds a grand new beginning for the act that aims high and hits even higher.
On the surface it might seem that To Carry On is a retreading of paths laid by Obsequiae on Vernal Tombs and The Palms of Sorrowed Kings. Soaring harmonies and extended leads, flurries of trem picking and blast beats, riffs that occupy a space somewhere near melodic black/death, folk, and classic heavy metal (without quite fitting into any of those boxes), and above all an overarching sense of melody that draws from a myriad of influences: Finland’s Fall of the Leafe, pre-Slaughter of the Soul Swedish melodeath, and to a lesser extent early Hellenic black metal in order to forge a mystical, medieval atmosphere befitting the term castle metal. As Obsequiae devotees will know there are many layers to that band’s music, and Morke is just the same — how this album differs from its primary influence is just as important as their similarities.
The most noticeable difference comes from Eric Wing’s guitar tone. If Tanner Anderson’s work with Obsequiae is lush greenery next to a softly trickling stream, Morke is a cozy, dreamlike haze that evokes sunset hills and misty mornings, existing out of place and time; this sonic quality has been brought to life visually in a pair of music videos for “Coup D’oeil” and “Ashes of Feudalism.” The latter is one of the standout tracks on To Carry On with its ascendant triad notes driven ever higher by the propulsive drumming of CJ Yacoub (Vulning, Canus Dirus), who locks down the rhythm section alongside Wing’s own bass with sharp fills, ferocious blasts, and pulse-pounding beats throughout. The final divine touch on this track is a guest solo from Tanner Anderson, also featured on “Wisterian Arbor” (in addition to guest vocals on “Coup D’oeil”).
The manner in which the rhythm section accompanies the glorious harmonizing melodies is another one of the distinguishing factors behind To Carry On. While Obsequiae is similarly defined by its melodic leads there are rhythm guitar riffs holding down the low end; with Morke this space is occupied solely by bass guitar, elevating the soaring guitars even further. This is not to say that there’s no riffs at all, far from it; in a sense not too dissimilar from my beloved Death and the Twilight Hours, what we might consider leads in the hands of another band are in fact the riffs. To Carry On is like listening to 35 minutes straight of lilting guitar leads, guiding the listener through the medieval haze; it’s not exactly improvisational but feels close to it, aiding in transporting you right into the fantasy dreamscapes evoked by both the album cover and the aforementioned music videos. A majority of the tracks on the album are shorter — ranging from three to five minutes — but the manner in which these “lead-sounding riffs” (or vice versa, as you please) are drawn out, harmonized notes often held for extended periods makes the tracks feel longer than they are. The end result is a positive inverse on the tendency for long songs to feel shorter through great pacing and songwriting.
As if the music and aesthetics of To Carry On didn’t already speak for itself, the last verse in the blast-laden finale of the title track brings the entire ethos of the album home: Your life is in your hands / Your heart is yours to mend / Your love is yours to share / Until the very end. Morke and the growing round table of castle metal acts create bright music for dark times, melodic black metal that’s unafraid to love and spread some positivity in a genre known for the opposite. To Carry On is a triumph that has quickly grown to become my favorite album among all that follow in the footsteps of Obsequiae, and a must-listen for all lovers of the melodic.
— Colin
To Carry On will be available October 10 through True Cult Records. For more information on Morke, check out their Facebook and Instagram pages.