The region of Hedmark, in the eastern part of southern Norway, is a land of lakes and fields and dark fir forests, of golden, tranquil summers and snowy, silent winters. This landscape breeds stubborn, earthborn people. To an outsider, they may seem docile, but beneath the surface there’s a will and a strength of heart that’s just as unmovable as the hills. They will not show off, will not protest, but they will simply put their heads down and do exactly what they wanted to, in their own time and their own way.
This is the soil from which Madder Mortem springs. Both band and members are born and raised in Hedmark, and the view from their rehearsal room is not concrete and streets, but fields and trees set against a quiet lake. There’s nothing urban about Madder Mortem. Just like the land it stems from, the music is organic and earthy. It resounds with the sweat of hard work, and with the tongue-in-cheek view of life of those who know who they are and where they come from. It’s caressing, it’s chilling, it’s outrageously cheeky and dead serious. It’s groovy, it’s melodic, it’s clever and it’s open-hearted, but most of all, it’s music made for music’s sake.
Madder Mortem started out in 1997 and released five albums: “Mercury” (1999), “All Flesh Is Grass” (2001), “Deadlands” (2003), “Desiderata” (2006) and “Eight Ways” (2009).
They’ve done two European tours, with Opeth in 2003 and with Tristania in 2001, and festivals such as Brutal Assault in Czech Republic, Popkomm Berlin in Germany, Yuletide Metal Meeting in Northern Ireland, Conmusic in Mexico, and the Norwegian festivals Inferno, Southern Discomfort and Quart, among others.
In 2015 the band signed with Norwegian label Dark Essence records and the sixth full-length,“Red In Tooth And Claw”, is released on October 2016. The new album, "Marrow" was released on Dark Essence Records 21 of september 2018.
"Old Eyes, New Heart", the new band album, was recorded at Skytterhuset and Studio Omnivore on and off between May 2021 and February 2022. Engineered and mixed by BP M. Kirkevaag. Produced by BPMK & Madder Mortem. Mastered by Peter In de Betou at Tailor Maid.
Band image (by Camilla NessetKnut J. Berget) included in promo material of "Old Eyes, New Heart".