Danish black metal band Myrkur just released “Rivers Blessed (Demo),” a story about learning to be a good mother through the struggles symbolized by winter. The song opens with an intimidating echo that makes it feel distant and lost. As the song continues, it becomes apparent that the artist is searching for companionship in a world where that may be the only thing you can rely on — she describes her hopes of the listener to “come with me in the snowstorm.”
Her delicate falsetto and lightly strummed harps give it a fairytale quality that transforms the song from a serenade to a lullaby. Myrkur takes on a motherlike persona as she assures the audience she will “keep you protected from the heavy wolves in the forest.”
This protective instinct, however, is more than a persona. Myrkur revealed that the song is heavily connected to her personal growth in parenting:
“‘Rivers Blessed’ is written about my journey into motherhood, a path that by no means was easy but it changed my life and how I view the world forever,” the artist said in a press release. “I wanted the song to have a strong feeling of winter, and therefore the harp is the only instrument, because its sound reminds me of falling snowflakes.”
Earlier this year, the Danish metal musician covered Joni Mitchell’s “Little Green” to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Mitchell’s renowned Blue. She previously faced controversy surrounding her 2017 song “Måneblôt” due to accusations that the lyrics spoke about sacrificing a newborn child. Myrkur responded by discussing her heavy use of symbolism, a trend that continues in her use of the innocence of snow in this track.
Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat
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