The title is inspired[7] by the Old English compound noun meredēað, literally "sea-death", which is attested (in the genitive plural meredēaða) in the passage rodor swipode meredēaða mǣst, literally: "the greatest quantity of sea-deaths scourged the skies", in Exodus, the second poem of the Junius manuscript, in the section telling the story of the Crossing of the Red Sea.[8] Alternatively, meredēað could be translated as "sea of death" or "deadly sea" in view of a later passage in the same text: meredēað geswealh, literally "sea-death swallowed".[9] On her website, Liv Kristine explicitly recommends Marsden 2004, and quotes the explanation for meredēað given in the book, saying that Meredead could be translated as "dead by the sea".[7]
Produced by Alexander Krull, the album blends the folk elements from earlier works to shape Meredead's atmospheric tone. The opening track, "Spirits' Masquerade," incorporates folk instrumentation, enriching the album’s diverse sound. Tracks like Étaín and Sigrlinn lyrically evoke the mysticism of ancient cultures, featuring uilleann pipes to enhance their thematic depth. The album also includes more traditional songs, such as Nystev and Kråkevisa; the latter employs the Scandinavian nyckelharpa, or keyed fiddle. A cover of To France reinterprets the tragedy and emotion of Mike Oldfield's classic. Supporting vocals and instrumentation on the album are provided by Maite Itoiz and John Kelly (Elfenthal), Carmen Espenæs, the Norwegian Anette Guldbrandsen, and Victor Smolski's Lingua Mortis Orchestra.
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