Album Review: MØL – DREAMCRUSH (Nuclear Blast Records)

Having dreams can sustain you – give you something to believe in – but the weight of expectation, the burden of reality can also mean that such dreams can become oppressive; they can just as easily shatter you. Denmark’s MØL explore the dichotomy of such dreams on their latest album, DREAMCRUSH, due for release via Nuclear Blast on 30th January 2026.

When this album was first announced I sat down and thought about what I wanted from a new MØL release. I still adore Jord to this day and while Diorama doesn’t quite get as much attention, it’s still a stunner of a record. Especially as it showcased natural developments in their sound and hinted at a much broader range. It has several of my favourite MØL tracks even if Jord is often the album that gets the full plays more often.

So, with that in mind, I wondered if all I wanted was a Jord sequel. Jord II: Even Jordier. Except I loved the expanded palette that Diorama offered. So maybe what I wanted was a Diorama sequel. Diorama II: Even Dioramier. Except I hated the idea of MØL stagnating and, lazily, throwing out a record that would, no doubt, be amazing and beloved, but wouldn’t make them happy. So, after giving it some thought, I decided that what I wanted from a new MØL record was whatever the band decided to release.

Be it an album similar to Jord, an album similar to Diorama, an album that blended both, or an album that is wildly different. Maybe I’d hate it, maybe I’d be indifferent to it, or maybe I’d love it just as much as the previous two albums, but for different reasons.

Yeah, it’s that one. I love this album. I really do, but I love it because it’s a such a mature release that shows off incredible natural musical progression. An album that shows off creative growth, an album that shows what it means to ignore formulas, and an album that proves, without a doubt, that MØL’s sound will stand the test of time and all because they are capable of evolving.

It’s their most challenging release yet, and while it does have plenty of familiar MØL elements, it’s staggering to see just how far they have come since Jord.

There’s a part of me that didn’t want to write this review, after all, it’s no secret that MØL are one of my favourite bands in the world. Part of me felt like I’d already said enough about how great I think they are and regardless of the challenge that this album creates, I’d just be gushing yet again. Then I thought, f**k that, I have plenty more to say.

So, where does this one rank? I think, over time, it will be my favourite record from the band. What it lacks in immediacy, it makes up for in long term discovery. Yet don’t believe for one second that there aren’t immediate hits either. It’s just that even those tracks are filled with incredible twists and turns. They’ve always been a clever band, they’ve always been expressive, but this amorphous? This is brand-new and it makes the album a constant source of fascination.

From the moment DREAM’s glorious ambience is heard, washing over the mind calmly, this album takes hold. Guitar melody enters, the drums pick up a beat, and as the pace increases, a blackened roar fully announces the arrival of MØL. The intensity of the vocals working in tandem with lighter rhythms, switching to cleaner tones and heavier beats to keep the mind on edge. It’s a phenomenal start that feels so different, especially from an atmospheric state, but also so familiar.

The bar is set high, but I promise you that it’s a bar that is constantly elevated via the likes of Sma° Forlis, which has a fascinating chorus and shows just how adept MØL have become at transitioning from melody to metal. It’s downright effortless.

Speaking of effortless though. How brilliant is Young? That intro, the explosion of blackened heaviness and intensity, the way the track evolves with extravagant melodies, gaze-infused power, and brash metal ferocity. It’s impressively infectious and filled with so feeling. I loved it as a single, and I love it even more here. Then there is Hud, a track that encourages you to sit back, close your eyes, and let the haunting guitar melody and varied vocals take you elsewhere. Kim’s range has expanded so much and here, his voice is more exposed than ever, and it pays off, especially as this track is sung in Danish. How about the guitars at the end? Outstanding and it’s a track that is fast becoming a favourite.

Though I think I’ll love Garland forever. My favourite track of 2025 (it was released as a single), and still as potent as ever. Here, the clean singing is downright breath-taking, especially when paired with the soul-touching melody and intense blasts of recognisable MØL heaviness, vocal screams included. Ken is absolutely killing it on drums here.

I really dig what cello guest Arianna Mahsayeh offers on Favour, and the more laidback tempo, exciting guitar soloing, and grander feel of this one comes at a good time. Especially as what follows is one of the album’s most challenging efforts of all. A track that upends what we all think we know about MØL, even though it’s not an impossible evolution of their sound. A fascinating merging of light and darkness, cleanliness and harshness, and melody and metal called A Former Blueprint.

A short instrumental intermission called ∞ allows for a chance to take a breath before the latter part of the album arrives in dramatic fashion with Dissonance and Mimi. Here, MØL enter more uncharted territory, which includes stepping away from their more recognisable blackgaze and shoegaze side to deliver layers of intriguing alternative sounds filled with feeling but not so far removed that it’s not MØL. The latter of the two tracks proves that.

Does that make sense? I think, regardless, of the point in time you joined MØL on their train forward, this evolution will make sense. It’s not a sudden shift in style; it’s been gradual and purposeful. Thoughtful and focused experimentation that leads us to the incredible finale of CRUSH. Where, thanks to everything experienced so far, the insane contrast between melody and metal, clean singing and blackened intensity, and eccentric gaze shifts feels so damn natural. It’s a delightful finish, giving off a ‘finale’ vibe too. A dreamy culmination that has a celebratory feel. It’s always darkest before the dawn. I love it.

It might only be January, but this is easily a contender for album of the year. There is no doubt in my mind that I will still be talking about this album come December 2026 and I will have racked up hundreds of plays by that point. It’s an album that gets better the more you hear it, the more you understand it, and the more open-minded you become. MØL are one of the most forward-thinking bands in the world and this album showcases, perfectly, just how creative they are.

MØL – DREAMCRUSH Track Listing:

1. DREAM
2. Sma° Forlis
3. Young
4. Hud
5. Garland
6. Favour
7. A Former Blueprint
8. ∞
9. Dissonance
10. Mimi
11. CRUSH

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