The 3rd And The Mortal |The 3rd And The Mortal |Darkness Shall Rise Productions (Reissue)

Release Date: September 10^th, 2025
Format: LP/CD/MC/Digital
Genre: Atmospheric/Doom Metal
Country: Norway

The 3rd And The Mortal came out of Trondheim at a strange moment, when Norwegian metal was loud for all the wrong reasons. Formed in the early 90s by Geir Nilssen, Finn Olav Holthe, Trond Engum, Rune Hoemsnes and vocalist Kari Rueslåtten, the band chose a slower, heavier and more inward looking road. Doom metal weight, progressive turns and a female vocal approach that sounded alien to the scene around them gave the band a clear identity early on. This 1993 demo is the first solid trace of that identity taking shape.

This reissue finally gives the demo "The 3rd And The Mortal" the space it always deserved. Even in its rougher form, the music sounds huge, soaked in reverb and drenched in sadness. Kari Rueslåtten’s voice floats above the guitars like a cold wind off the fjord, distant and haunting, never sweet, never decorative. The songs stretch out patiently, letting sorrow and heaviness builds slowly, with melodies that stay in your head long after the tape stops spinning.

The songwriting here is already far ahead of its time. Tracks like "Grevinnens Bønn" and "Ring Of Fire" show a band thinking beyond simple doom formulas, layering melodies and textures in ways that feel natural and unforced. The bonus track "Autopoema", recorded during the same session, fits perfectly into the demo’s bleak atmosphere and finally completes the picture. Nothing sounds accidental, even in this early stage, everything points toward a band with a clear inner vision.

What makes this demo special is its emotional pull. It is mournful, beautiful and heavy in a way that avoids cheap drama. The darkness here is quiet and personal, not aggressive or confrontational. You can already hear the roots of what would later bloom on "Tears Laid In Earth", but the rawness gives these songs a fragile edge that later recordings smoothed out.

This reissue by Darkness Shall Rise Productions is more than a collector’s item. It is a crucial document of a band that helped reshape atmospheric metal in its own image. Remastered with care and presented with extensive liner material, it finally lets this early chapter speak loudly again.

Score: 8.0