"I'm not a huge fan of Legion era Marduk, I prefer the new lineup. This is a back to basics album. It's very raw, but well recorded. The drums sound like real drums, the vocals are loud and harsh, the guitars are live-like. I'm sure everyone has their own preference of which era of Marduk they like best. If you are one of those who like the last two releases then you'll definitely dig this one as well."
RAW and origional
Deimos | Alberta | 11/04/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is the newest masterwork from Black Metal act Marduk. This band never stops amazing me, every album sounds fresh, raw, natural, brutal and has outstanding musicianship. This new album is no exception to awesome pure Black Metal. For Black Metal fans everywhere and naturally Marduk fan's like myself this album is a must! \m/\m/"
One of my favorite Marduk albums.
Squelch | 7th Layer of Hell | 01/01/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you are an old school Marduk fan or checking them out for the first time this is the album to get. It has the slow evil songs and the full out blasting destruction songs. The dark melodic song Funeral Dawn is my favorite Marduk song now. Marduk continues to impress me after all these years. If you love black metal or just plain metal this is definitely an album you should check out."
Familiar Gruesomeness
Michael E. Mitchell | Minocqua, WI USA | 10/30/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a Marduk album, no questions about it. While not a paint-by-numbers effort, it does sound very familiar...though there are some ghastly secrets hidden behind the expected formula! From the get-go, this is super-high quality hideousness, as we've come to expect from this incarnation of Marduk; this album does not really have any "filler" or any songs that seem to drag on too long (as several of their albums are guilty of); the whole thing seems to go by rather quickly and urges one to play it again. There are some unexpectedly grandiose moments in several songs, where a triumphal guitar MELODY/riff intrudes in the miasma of chainsawing ("Into Utter Madness" and "Whorecrown" most notably, although the latter has an ongoing dissonance which perhaps heightens the impact of the melody when it arrives); that is a new facet we are introduced to with "Wormwood"--- melody(although Marduk HAS had instances of it througout their catalogue)! Don't be shocked, however...Morgan manages to keep it extremely morbid and well-fitting within the context of Marduk's usual whirlwinds of doom. Another sonic addition is the very audible (and integral to many songs) BASS, which is remarkable in the world of Black MeTal(perhaps having something to do with Devo's hand in the production of the album?)! This album has a crisp, crackling sound with very dark undertones...in my opinion, it has the best production of the Mortuus-era albums; not widely different, but noticeable. Speaking of Mortuus, his vocals hit another plateau of excellence, with some impossibly weird noises being introduced to Marduk's sound (getting closer to his work in Funeral Mist, but not that maniacally over-the-edge). There is a bit of an "experimental" song("Unclosing the Curse"), or perhaps an "interlude", if you prefer. It is suitably creepy, and not really annoying like some other bands' similar type of devices the break up albums' flow(nothing at all like 1349's failed experiment of earlier this year). There is even a creeping, slow song (which is seasoned with some of Morgan's guitar melodies, used as a recurring motif), the aptly-titled "Funeral Dawn". My favourite track on here is "A Chorus of Cracking Necks", with it's snazzy sing-along chorus(ha ha ha!), complete with sickening sound effects! Oddly, the main early riff of "Into Utter Madness" is similar to one of the main riffs in "Cracking Necks". I must mention the spectacular booklet with some EXTREMELY disturbing artwork/photos (where do they keep digging these up?)! "Wormwood" is a masterpiece of Black MeTal, perfectly (de)composed, paced, and performed...a MUST for any fan of Marduk, and an excellent example of what BM should be(also,it includes the best use of fly-buzzing I've ever heard)!"
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1
