Release Date: January 30, 2026
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Country: Denmark
Genre: Post-Black Metal/Shoegaze
Words truly cannot do this album justice. MØL have fully mastered the language of emotion with their 3rd full-length album, Dreamcrush. As strong as their previous releases Jord (2019) and Diorama (2021) are, Dreamcrush somehow manages to surpass both in musicality and emotion. Moving ever farther from the depths of black metal into the hazy realm of shoegaze and post-metal, this new record is the pinnacle of the genre and has already earned its place in my end-of-year list for 2026, and I expect it will launch MØL into the stars.
“DREAM” is the perfect track to introduce the new album, offering a first taste of the intense harsh vocals and smooth and addictive cleans we are gifted throughout the record. The contrast between dreamy guitar melodies and aggressive riffs makes its grand entrance here, and we get more of this on the 2nd track, “Små forlis,” which translates to “small shipwrecks,” another song that is teeming with emotion and life. The 3rd track, “Young,” was previously released as a single and also has a music video to accompany it, which is simple yet perfect. The lyrics are both in Danish and English, and the languages work beautifully together. This track is impossible not to feel, as it expresses an acceptance that darkness will never disappear.
The 4th track, “Hud” (Danish for “skin”), elicits a physical response with its emotional beauty. The clean vocals in Danish along with the sweet and soothing guitar melodies combine perfectly and again contrast with harsh vocals and riffs that are just as beautiful. We have now arrived at the song that made me fall in love with MØL – the first single released, “Garland.” This was a case of love-at-first-listen for me, and I’m sure I’m not alone. I am once again at a loss for words to describe the beauty and emotion of this track. Carrying us from lovely clean vocals to a chorus that is intense and complemented by amazing guitars, we are transported to a dreamlike state of pure awe.
The 6th track, “Favour,” is mostly an ethereal soundscape that envelops you in calm before dragging you under with a slow and heavy section that is almost doom-like. “A Former Blueprint” brings back the heavenly cleans, floating effortlessly over the guitars. The growls here oscillate between deeper and darker tones and lifting again into explosive fervor. Before the end of the album, there is a short and sweet instrumental that is dreamy and lulling, and almost whimsical. Track number 9, “Dissonance,” has an amazing chorus akin to “Garland,” with the screams being surrounded by incredible guitar melodies, an insanely addictive combination. “Mimic” starts off strong and powerful, immediately hitting us with heavy guitars and harsh vocals. The guitars here are once again breathtaking, and we get a few sections that are perfect for headbanging. The final and longest song, “Crush,” was the 3rd track released as a single and also has a beautiful and powerful music video. A perfect culmination to a perfect album, emotional and intense from beginning to end.
Dreamcrush has a sweetness throughout that you can feel and taste, and the entire record feels like a dream you don’t want to wake up from, an alluring place of intense beauty and emotion that you want to be pulled back into. MØL have managed to perfectly encapsulate the extremes of human emotion, from the heights of ecstasy to the depths of the bleakest anguish. Pessimistic yet vehemently hopeful, this album encompasses the dissonance and contradiction of human life. It reminds us that to feel is to be alive, and that although darkness is ever present, it only makes the light more beautiful. It had been a while since I was last deeply moved to tears by music. Thank you, MØL.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moeldk/
Bandcamp: https://moeldk.bandcamp.com
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