Mortemia, the gothic metal project of Norwegian multi‑instrumentalist Morten Veland, releases the twelfth chapter of The Cover Collab Sessions with a striking new rendition of “Golden Leaves”, originally composed by Bear McCreary for The Rings Of Power. The track features the return of Zora Cock of Blackbriar, whose ethereal voice brings a haunting elegance to the elvish‑language composition.
Veland reflects on the collaboration: “I'm proud and honoured to welcome back my friend and former collaborator Zora Cock as my special guest for The Cover Collab Sessions. A few years back I had the pleasure of working with Zora on our rendition of ‘What Else Is There?’. When I first heard ‘Golden Leaves’, it instantly gave me goosebumps, and I’ve been thinking about a rendition for some time. When I finally started working on it, Zora’s voice immediately came to mind. I’m truly thankful she found time in her busy schedule to join me again. We’re both excited to share this song with all of you.”
Zora Cock adds: “I was so excited when Morten asked me to collaborate again! Our first Mortemia track received such a lovely response, and I still adore that song today. My first thought was: ‘How are we ever going to top that?’ But then I heard the song he had in mind — something completely different, something that would take me into Tolkien’s world. And on top of that… I had to sing in Elvish! I hope you’ll love the result as much as I do.”
Mortemia’s collaborative era began during the early stages of the Covid‑19 pandemic, when Veland launched a new concept built entirely around guest vocalists. The Pandemic Pandemonium Sessions introduced a monthly series of singles featuring well‑known voices from across the metal scene, followed by The Covid Aftermath Sessions, another full album with twelve different singers.
Now, Veland continues this artistic journey with The Cover Collab Sessions, a project dedicated exclusively to reimagined songs — each rearranged and performed in Mortemia’s unmistakable gothic metal style. “Golden Leaves” stands as the twelfth entry in the series, further showcasing Veland’s ability to merge cinematic atmosphere, emotional depth, and powerful vocal performances.
The single “Golden Leaves” comes with a beautiful music video and is now available on all digital platforms. Link
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"It's about humans; we are the high parasites. We feast on the earth and on all the things that the earth gives us. We don't just take a little bit, we take everything." - Aaron Stainthorpe
"When I make a song, I know I could do it better, but I'm happy with it. It doesn't have to be perfect, and I like it when it's not. That's why I can make it that way." - Rapha Hell
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