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Mörk Gryning - Biography


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1995-2005

Biography

Stockholm Black Metal outfit Mörk Gryning, which, in English, means "Dark Dawn", were founded in 1993 by vocalist/guitarist/bassist Goth Gorgon (a.k.a. Jonas Berndt) and guitarist/drummer Draakh Kimera (Peter Nagy) during 1993. The opening 1995 record "Tusen År Har Gått", recorded at Unisound Studios and released by No Fashion, was produced by Edge Of Sanity's Dan Swanö. That same year, Berndt, under the pseudonym "Heinous", activated side project Mortifer.

The following year the founding pair pulled in live musicians Berserk, Dismember, Thyrfing and Sins Of Omission bassist Martin Persson, Eternal Oath keyboard player Pär Almqvist and drummer Dennis "Devastator" Ekdahl, a well known figure from acts such as Mortifer, Athela, Mournful, Mystic Prophecy, Raise Hell and Sins Of Omission.

The group returned to action in recorded in November 1996, working at Sunlight Studios together with Tomas Skogsberg and Dismember's Fred Estby to craft the "Return Fire" follow up. This album would include their interpretation of Slayer's "Necrophiliac". Berndt and Ekdahl's Mortifer venture issued the "Battle Of The Titans" demo in 1997. They also recorded an album, "Masters Of The Universe", although this did not see release.

Mörk Gryning then took a break for a few years, returning in 2000 along with guitarist Avatar (a.k.a. Mattias Eklund), a scene veteran. This unit cut the "Maelstrom Chaos" album at Grieghallen Studios. 2001 live dates would see the inclusion of further session players, guitarist Stefan Lundgren and keyboard player Henrik "Headbang" Hedborg.

Jonas Berndt would join Death Metal band Diabolical as stand in live bassist during May of 2001.

In January of 2004 Mörk Gryning cut their rendition of "Neverwhere" for an At The Gates tribute album "Slaughterous Souls - A Tribute To At The Gates" released through Drowned Scream Records. Jonas Berndt, revealing that "Black or Death Metal simply doesn't attract me in the way it used to do", announced the band was to fold in January 2005. The singer subsequently revealed he was working up a Stoner/Psychedelic band.