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Rating: ''Panzer Division Marduk''..what to expect from this title? The melancholic melodies of Empyrium? The guitar virtuosity of Steve Vai? None of that. You just have to expect some good old Black Metal made by Marduk!!! I'll start with an important premise. If I listen to Black Metal, it's because years and years ago, I listened to ''Christraping Black Metal'' and after a couple of listens, I fell in love with it. Consequently, I will surely be biased in reviewing this album (also considering that Marduk has always been one of my favorite bands... I'd say the picture is complete)
But who are Marduk and what do they play? It's not difficult to understand. What are they? A band from Sweden, the homeland of the fastest and most combative Black Metal (Dark Funeral!), the kind that leaves little room for vaguely depressive emotions and focuses more on a sort of continuous hammering. A granite wall of sound made of continuous double kick drums, fast and sharp riffs, and inhuman screams, and who better than them possesses these characteristics? Who are they? Or rather, who were they when this CD was released? They were 4 demons: Morgan Hakansson, Legion, B.War, Fredrik Andersson, respectively guitarist, singer, bassist, drummer.
A line-up that's definitely respectable, with a particular interest in B.War (at least personally), as he is, in my opinion, one of the best bassists in the Black scene. Perhaps not much highlighted in this album, as its sound is very full and thus not sufficiently focused on his bass, but just listen to him in the old productions like Opus Nocturne, Those Of The Unlight, in short, a great musician. The same can be said for the other three. Morgan has always been the band's maximo leader and for me, a great composer (for those who accuse him of compositional repetitiveness, I'd say they should listen to the band's latest albums), Andersson a war machine (maybe even more than his successor Dragutinovic) and Legion remains Legion. The group's trademark for years, he gave the voice to a creature ready to enhance it with its blasphemous and tight rhythms!
But let's move on to the analysis of the actual album.
The first track can only be ''Panzer Division Marduk''. I'll tell you right away that the first three tracks are, in my opinion, the best of the lot, and how could you not expect it with such a start? Double bass drum at full throttle, super-fast riffs, screams, and total destruction. It really seems like a Panzer is destroying everything around us. A real punch in the face, there are no words. Direct and 'in your face'. It continues with the extremely blasphemous ''Baptism By Fire''. Another killer track that has no intention of ending the massacre started with the first track, but rather hardens it even more. The ingredients are always the same but they are mixed so well that no one could complain about these tracks so similar, yet so different. To add even more phatos, there are sounds of bombings and Stuka flying over a sky already covered by total fire. Crazy conclusion with the three simple words, ''Baptism By Fire''!! ''Christraping Black Metal''...so many memories...so many emotions...so many curses!!! I don't know what the poor God of the moment did to deserve so much meanness. But really. "Christraping Black Metal" is a truly blasphemous piece, really devastating. A continuous series of free attacks towards God, His Son, and whoever else you can think of. But we like it that way. These are Marduk and this is their masterpiece!!! Devastating the beginning, absolute masterpiece the piece!!! Legion always brutal in his screaming and Andersson increasingly incredibly fast and precise. A war machine, that's what Marduk are or rather were!!! This sonic delirium is followed by ''Scorched Earth'', ''Beast Of Pray'', and ''Bloddown'' which are less pleasant at least as far as I'm concerned. But no fear because ''502'' and ''Fistfucking God's Planet'' provide a worthy conclusion, indeed a wonderful conclusion to an album that is already itself wonderful. In short, a carnage from start to finish, but these are Marduk. Take it or leave it. I'll take it and keep taking it because, to me, Marduk will always be Marduk!!!
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Panzer Division Marduk (02:39)
Black, fearsome and grim and mighty
Panzer division Marduk rolls over enemy land
Striking hard and fast against your lines
We blow your fortress into sand
The victory is Satan's but the battle is ours
We avenge you for centuries of rape, murder and theft
Behold the power of our killing machine
There'll be nothing but dust when the vultures have left
Forged in the essence of the unholy flames
By the first angel once fallen from the skies
The war hounds of hell can't be stopped on our march
To extinguish the goodness and lies
Panzer division Marduk continues its triumphant crusade
Against christianity and your worthless humanity
02 Baptism by Fire (03:50)
Baptism by fire
Feel the wrath of Satan's relentless flames
Ungodly desires
When god is lost and on his planet hellfire reigns
War master makes his call
As death descending out of clear blue sky
A hailstorm of bombs fall
In the blazing pandemonium your holy powers will die
Death from above - The hellfire will soon be unleashed
Death rips the sky - Domination gives praise to the beast
Baptism by fire
Fatal omens in the sky
Our soldiers burn away your holy lies
Retaliation of the fallen from up high
In the firestorm you choke on your feeble cries
Baptism by fire
A divine punishment for those who go to war
Against those who defied the line
And scaled the Christian fate forevermore
Death from above - Explosions is tearing your soul
Death rips the sky - The bombing is reaching its goal
Baptism by fire
Hear the bombs falling
The devil is calling
The godly creation
In obliteration
On your final hour
Experience the power
Of retaliation
Death and domination
I dominate
Your destined fate
All life will soon be gone
Still the flames linger on
See death's shadow in my eyes
High priest of his sacrifice
Through the inferno that burns in the night
Baptism by fire show you our might
Death from above - Death or glory there is no way back
Death rips the sky - Attack, attack, attack!
Baptism by fire
05 Beast of Prey (04:07)
War
Sounds of violence breaks the silence
Ripping the stillness apart
Sounds of thunder n force from the world under
The essence and joy of my heart
The messengers who chime death's bell
The panzers have come to blow god into hell
Die
Like Lillith's sons - the demonic ones
Storming through dust clouds to kill
All they seek - to kill the weak
The extent of bloodshed to the thrill
The black roaring panzers who bring pain and death
And through their barrels you will feel hells breath
Eyeballs rolling, bodies twisting, mouths are screaming as they burn
Shells exploding, steel is crushing, dooms bell tolling, death you yearn
All I want, All I need
Is to see my enemies bleed
Guns of annihilation, hell's celebration
Execution of god can begin
Set the world on fire so Christ can expire
This time the devil will win
Smell the scent of fear and pain
As we roll through the pile of ash
Antichrist is here to reign as we blow god's throne
With a crash
All I want, all I need
Is to kill the ones light saved
I spit in the face of god with my gun
A blazing the ghost and run over his son
06 Blooddawn (04:19)
Storming forth with dreadful guns
To obliterate the chosen ones
Lucifer legions under the banner of the horns
Slaying and crushing as the infidel mourns
Crushing with metallic
Behold us with fright as we storm through the night
Blooddawn
Storming forth with dreadful guns
To obliterate the chosen once
Hear our war cry as we reign the battlefield
Now you can't hide behind no shelter nor shield
The heavens will bleed when the angels fall
Gunned down by the soldiers who have heard our call
Blooddawn
Storming forth with dreadful guns
To obliterate the chosen ones
Our killing spree is thrilling me
And by our guns you'll blasted be
Lost are those who worshipped the liar
Panzer division Marduk engulfs you in fire
Blooddawn
07 502 (03:14)
Panzers march
Whether it stormed or snowed or the sun was smiling at them
If the night was black or the day boiling warm
Thoir faces were dusty but their spirits were high
Their panzers it raced along with the storm
With thundering engines as fast as lightning
Through victory and defeat they fought their way
With blockades and tanks the foes tried to stop them
But in full speed they rolled at their prey
Beast of prey
2000 hostile tanks they slayed
Takings its toll
To panzer battle they called
Their fighting will forever stand no mark
But at last their faithless luck them couldn't save
When the bullets killed them and their fate sat in
Then their panzer became their grave
502 - Beast of prey
502 - 2000 hostile tanks they slayed
502 - taking its toll
502 - to panzer battle they called
08 Fistfucking God's Planet (04:27)
Dethrone the son The crucified one Dead and begotten Unfortunately forgotten Death on the cross Life was your loss You fell from Roman hands In thy holy land Still your words are being preached But now your realm is being breached Your vision we will turn to sand When we reap thy holy land King who was scorned with a crown of thorns A sadist who tormented mandkind since he was born Your throne we will burn You shall never return The light won't shine over your holy empire As it ends in a roaring storm of fire The christian serpents can escape or stay And face the oceans of fire, blood and iron which will sweep them away An ocean which everything you accomplished will erase And pull out your venomous fangs from mandkind without a trace Now were crashing onto your shore Stare into the face of war Death to you forevermore By pain you never felt before Death on the cross Life was your loss You fell from Roman hands In thy holy land Still your words are being preached But now your realm is being breached Your vision we will turn to sand When we reap thy holy land Dethrone the son The crucified one Dead and begotten Unfortunately forgotten You will pay For getting in our way You will see How we will be Fistfucking god's planet
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