You'd assume Ex Cops' Amalie Brunn didn't create Myrkur with the intention of impressing key figures in black metal, but some things have a funny way of working out. She nailed the sound of Bergtatt, Ulver's highly regarded 1995 debut, so well on last year's self-titled debut EP that Ulver's Kristoffer "Garm" Rygg is producing her first full-length, M, out August 21 on Relapse. -=-=-=-

And, no, M isn't Bergtatt worship. In fact, Brunn, a multi-instrumentalist and singer, illustrates that at this point she may very well understand second-wave Norwegian black metal better than some of its founders. For instance, "Hævnen"'s mid-paced sections are a nod to how Celtic Frost shaped black metal, and she's added horns and strings into the mix. Her take on Bergtatt's vocal work, still breathy and with a Lovesliescrushing vibe, also remains key. But comparisons and compatriots aside, Brunn makes it clear that this is her vision, and now that there isn't the original PR game of masking her identity to create grim mysteriousness, she has a chance for Myrkur to really reveal itself.