Marduk
Panzer Division Marduk

THE REVIEW

''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!!!