Iconic Norwegian artist Mortiis has unveiled a striking new music video for his latest single, “Violent Silence”. The clip, once again written and directed by Claudio Marino, delivers a surreal and emotionally charged visual counterpart to one of the most personal tracks from his upcoming album, Ghosts of Europa, due June 26 via Prophecy Productions.
“Lyrically, ‘Violent Silence’ came into being as an apology to my wife,” Mortiis explains. “I had done something stupid again… The gut-wrenching sensation of guilt never fully goes away. Musically, it was incredibly inspiring—especially building toward the end with layers of fuzz and echo-drenched guitars.”
Taken from Ghosts of Europa, the track showcases a dense, cinematic blend of industrial textures, dark ambient atmospheres, and distorted electronics, hallmarks of Mortiis’ ever-evolving sound.
A Legacy of Transformation
Emerging from the early Norwegian black metal scene as a founding member of Emperor, Håvard Ellefsen carved his own path with Mortiis, ultimately becoming a pioneering force in dungeon synth and experimental dark music. Across multiple eras, his work has shifted from haunting, synth-driven soundscapes to abrasive industrial rock and genre-defying hybrids.
With Ghosts of Europa, Mortiis embraces total creative freedom, abandoning rigid genre boundaries in favor of a fluid, cinematic vision shaped by years of experimentation, personal struggle, and artistic reinvention.
The album’s origins included an early collaborative concept with Stephan Groth of Apoptygma Berzerk, inspired by the Berlin School of electronic music—particularly Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze. Though that collaboration dissolved, traces of those influences remain embedded within the album’s expansive and otherworldly sonic palette.
Tour: The Witches of Dystopia MMXXVI
Mortiis is currently on a North American co-headlining tour with UADA, performing a special anniversary set centered on his landmark 2001 album The Smell of Rain. The tour also features Jerome Reuter’s Rome and Wraith Knight, and runs through May 16.
Ghosts of Europa — Tracklist
- Ghosts of Europa
- Return to the Old Fields
- The Faith That Fades Away
- Violent Silence
- Transcending Morpheus
- Tundra, Heart of Hell
- Tribes of Dystopia
- Farewell Romero
Line-up
- Håvard “Mortiis” Ellefsen — vocals, keyboards, programming
Notable Guests Include:
- Christopher Amott
- Sarah Jezebel Deva
- Thorsten Quaeschning
- Members of Septicflesh, Skinny Puppy, and more
With Ghosts of Europa, Mortiis delivers one of his most ambitious and unrestrained works to date, a sprawling, dystopian soundscape that fuses industrial grit, electronic experimentation, and cinematic depth into a constantly shifting, deeply personal experience.