Live report MYRKUR & JONATHAN HULTÉN, übel & gefährlich, Hamburg – April 5th, 2024

There is a strong breeze from the North that brings some of the Scandinavian cultural heritage to Hamburg tonight. Danish singer and guitarist Amelie Bruun is on tour with her outfit Myrkur. Supporting on this tour is former Tribulation member Jonathan Hultén who presents songs from his solo project. One concert on this tour is at übel & gefährlich in Hamburg and it is 20:00 sharp when Jonathan Hultén enters the stage. Just him and his guitar, surrounded by darkness and a few blue rays of light, that is what fan get to see before the singer/guitarist starts into his set.

Hultén’s set is everything but loud. It is a soulful journey with birds chirping the sound of wind and crows adding to the music of the Swede. The singer/guitarist is totally in balance with himself, and he is grateful for the possibility to support Myrkur on this tour. It is amazing what powerful and at the same time fragile sound Hultén can create all by himself and the songs performed tonight are a treat for could and mind. They are a counterpart to the hectic life and the Frühjahrs Dom party outside. Fans love what they get offered too and Hultén brings everybody to right mood for the headliner.

I follow the music of Myrkur already since she released the legendary ‘M’-album back in 2015. What was fascinating at the time was this special blend of influences. From folk to rock to metal in its blackest fashion; it all was present and contributed to a great album. ‘Dybt I skoven’ is a song from that album and it is on tonight’s setlist too. Although the screeching and blackened screams aren’t present today it is the level of intensity that is still high. None of the songs leaves people cold during this 75-minute set. Regardless of if we are talking about the older material from ‘Mareridt’ or the newer songs from the ‘Spine’ album, it all blends into each other in stellar fashion and ensure a very compact set.

Myrkur songs are always connected to personal experiences, and this is what makes the music so authentic. It is a special aura she spreads on stage and that’s a crucial part of the show. It is the expression of inner emotions and the northern heritage that makesd the show so intense and catching.

What works already pretty well on each of the albums comes with an extra impact in a live setup. Seeing Amelie Bruun on stage and listening to the songs generates a unique atmosphere; a fascination one can’t escape from. While fans listen respectfully during the songs it is the level of applause in between the songs that show the appreciation of what the Danish multi-instrumentalist offers tonight at übel & gefährlich. Although music is doing the talking tonight, Bruun uses the opportunity to thank fans for coming out to show and she does it in a very grateful and humble way. It’s the moment when the artist and fans become one in a way that both parts appreciate each other from the bottom of their heart.

Songwise the focus is on the latest album as ‘Spine’ contributes with eight songs. Especially the rather melodic ones like ‘Mothlike’ or ‘Like Humans’, both very much at the top of the setlist echoe great music with a catchiness that helps to get everybody in the right mood. These new songs and tunes like ‘Dybt i skoven’ seamlessly blend into each other while the real blackened songs like ‘Måneblôt’ aren’t part of this night with Myrkur.

Myrkur tonight, that was an intense musical journey through the sounds of the North and at the same time a very intimate show, that lived by the emotional connection between fans and band. Seeing Myrkur live on stage is an experience one shouldn’t miss.