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Rating: Marduk, having entered a new artistic era as orphans of singer Legion, return with a new work that, in my opinion, what it gains in production, it loses in quality.
The new singer, with the emblematic name of Mortuus (former Funeral Mist and Triumphator), is light years away from Legion's characteristic voice, which doesn't mean it's a good thing.. on the contrary, it makes one miss him, and a lot as well.
Thus, in my hands, their new work, with a beautiful cover and titled "Plague Angel," which also presents some significant innovations that, on the first listen (but also on the second and third, and so on), left me very perplexed. If comparisons with the band's past had to be made, we could say it presents small elements from the band's past, like "Panzer Division Marduk" or "La Grande Danse Macabre," definitions to be taken with a grain of salt because, indeed, the album stands far from the glories of its predecessors. However, the analogies, in terms of sonic power and speed, are all there: the first two tracks "The Hangman of Prague" and "Throne of Rats" are of truly remarkable speed and power. But the rhythms slow down with "Seven Angels, Seven Trumpets," being an almost atmospheric and evocative piece.
"Life's Emblem" returns to accelerate in an appropriate and also good manner, like the following "Steel Inferno," only to fall into cadences that feel obsessive and repetitive with "Perish in Flames." So far there's little room for melody, but it's worth noting the finally good production, with sounds and instruments being heard in a clear manner. Violence returns forcefully with "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" and "Warschau." So far the album has really offered nothing new: the sensation of "already heard" is present in every song, and as mentioned in the introduction, comparisons with the past abound. "Deathmarch" breaks the aggressive atmosphere to give us a doom track, dominated by orchestrations and filtered voices full of echoes. No guitar, drums, or bass, just screams and wails. The only successful experiment on the album, because it returns to monotony with "Everything Bleeds" and "Blutrache."
The previous "World Funeral" was certainly a good black album: besides being well-played, it presented successful experiments, but this "Plague Angel" is monotonous, devoid of real ideas, and above all, it seems like a copy and paste of old tracks. I find it almost useless as an album, if it weren't for the fact that the production is finally done as it should be.
For die-hard fans.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 The Hangman of Prague (03:05)
In the gothic splendor of the chapel of St. Menceslaus
Golden door with seven locks
Seven keys within your hand
Ancient crown of Behemia placed upon your head
Sharpening your spears
The hangman's disciple, vomiting forth death
Murderous power, radiate hate, harbinger of suffering
The malignance of maledomance rises beyond benevolence
Smite your foes that they may die
Splattering blood across the sky
Architect of genocide, by death taking pride
The shape of things to come
The shape of things to come
The shape of things to come
The shape of things to come
Thousand-eyed angel of death, armed with flaming sword
Spread your wings, let the killing begin
The hunter becomes the hunted, hangmen also die
Morning red, morning red shines us to soon be dead
Retaliating from beyond, killing, blood spilling
Wade through carnage
Seas of blood
Seas of blood
Morning red
Seas of blood
In the gothic splendor of the chapel of St. Menceslaus
Golden door with seven locks
Seven keys within your hand
Smite your foes that they may die
Splattering blood across the sky
Architect of genocide, by death taking pride
The shape of things to come
The shape of things to come
The shape of things to come
The shape of things to come
Hangmen also die
Morning red, morning red shines us to soon be dead
Retaliating from beyond, killing, blood spilling
Wade through carnage
Seas of blood
Seas of blood
Seas of blood
Seas of blood
02 Throne of Rats (02:42)
Plague upon plague
Black boil redemption
On this sea of rats shall I set my throne
Halo of fleas
Blood puke salvation
Only fire is now clean enough to touch your soul
Throne of rats
Sword of disease
Throne of rats
See how the body contracts
Until your limbs become a rope of madness
Rope of regret
The piece of purity
Rope of regret
Throne of rats
Sword of disease
Throne of rats
Older than time am I, and yes I am for evermore
Constantly reshaping reforming to suit your sins
Death upon death
Black Death redemption
On this sea of death shall I claim my crown
Halo of death
Death puke salvation
Only death is now pure enough to forgive your sins
Throne of death
Justice is done
Throne of rats
04 Life's Emblem (04:55)
Upon that storied marble cast thine eye
The scene commands a moralizing sigh
E�en in Areardias blessed Elysium plains
Amidst the laughing nymphs and sparkling flames
Life�s emblem here, in youth and vernal bloom
But reasons finger pointing at the�
See festal joy subside, with melting grace
And pity visit the half smiling face
Where now the dance, the hate, the nuptial feast
The passion throbbing in the lover�s breast
Life�s emblem here, in youth and vernal bloom
But reason�s finger pointing at the tomb!
Man: So say me noble stranger, what brings you here this night?
Death: I have come to release you from the bitter taste of life
Man: Why me? Why now? It cannot be my time
Death: Everything that falls to the ground is mine!
Upon that storied marble cast thine eye
The scene commands a moralizing sigh
E�en in Areardias blessed Elysium plains
Amidst the laughing nymphs and sparkling flames
See festal joy subside, with melting grace
And pity visit the half smiling face
Where now the dance, the hate, the nuptial feast
The passion throbbing in the lover�s breast
Life�s emblem here, in youth and vernal bloom
But reason�s finger pointing at the�
See festal joy subside, with melting grace
And pity visit the half smiling face
Where now the dance, the hate, the nuptial feast
The passion throbbing in the lover�s breast
Life�s emblem here, in youth and vernal bloom
But reason�s finger pointing at the tomb!
Man: But in youth am I still, and in flesh am I strong
Death: And I have a disease for every sin that you have done
Man: But I�ve done nothing wrong, nothing bad or untrue
Death: Neither God or Devil agrees with you!
11 Blutrache (07:50)
[7:50]
The great cathedral of Man arise
through doors flung wide.
Every nation marches singing
towards defeat and death.
Judgement Day edges toward evening.
Panzer thunder, panzer death.
Black twelve-armed holy Sun.
Rise, rise, holy Sun.
Judgement Day edges toward evening.
Every nation marches singing,
every nation towards death.
Let us rejoice in the light
of this man-made Armageddon
this man-made Hell.
Hand in hand with angels of iron,
angels of wrath.
Panzer thunder, panzer death.
Black twelve-armed holy Sun.
Rise, rise, holy black Sun.
The great cathedral of Man arise
through doors flung wide.
Every nation marches singing
towards defeat and death.
Judgement Day edges toward evening.
Panzer thunder, panzer death.
Black twelve-armed holy Sun.
Rise, rise, holy black Sun.
Judgement Day edges toward evening.
Every nation marches singing,
every nation towards death.
Let us rejoice in the light
of this man-made Armageddon
this man-made blazing Hell.
Hand in hand with angels of iron,
angels of wrath.
Panzer thunder, panzer death.
Black twelve-armed holy Sun.
Rise, rise, holy black Sun.
Every nation marches singing,
every nation towards death.
Let us rejoice in the light of
this glaring mass cremation,
this shining mass-death-light.
Hand in hand with angels of iron,
angels of wrath.
Panzer chaos, panzer Hell.
Black twelve-armed holy Sun.
Rise, rise, holy Sun.
Every nation marches singing.
Even our children shall fight to the end.
Let us rejoice in the light
of this man-made Armageddon
this man-made blazing Hell.
Hand in hand with angels of iron,
angels of wrath.
Panzer thunder, panzer death.
Black twelve-armed holy Sun.
Rise, rise, holy black Sun.
Every nation marches singing,
every nation towards death.
Let us rejoice in the light of
this solemn dance of death.
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