UMUR "Mercury" is the debut studio album from Norwegian goth/ doom metal act Madder Mortem. The album was released through Misanthropy Records in February 1999.

The music is pre-dominantly slow- to mid paced goth/doom metal featuring mid ranged female vocals. No operatic or soprano vocal parts here. Agnete M. Kirkevaag is a skilled vocalist with a strong voice. She´s not very distinct though, but her style suits the music fine. The music is at times quite sombre but also very melodic. The tracks are generally simply structured but there are a few diversions from the "regular" vers/chorus structure that make the music more varied. There are a few melodic folky elements in the music too that are worth mentioning. This is not folk metal though. It´s only a few elements.

The musicianship is solid and I really enjoy how Madder Mortem are able to make their songs flow nicely without awkward shifts between sections.

The production is great. It´s actually quite soft for a metal album but it suits the music well.

"Mercury" is a decent debut album by Madder Mortem and certainly recommendable to fans of goth/doom metal with female vocals. It´s not terribly innovative or challenging to listen to, but it features a great atmosphere and some really well written material. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is deserved.