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artist: Marduk
title: Memento Mori
year: 2023
genre: Black Metal
type: Album
label: Century Media Records
language: English
rel. date: 2023-09-01
source: WEB/MP3
quality: CBR 320kbps / 44.1 kHz / Joint Stereo
runtime: 00:41:52
size: 100.70MB
rip date: 2025-04-26
source url: http://deezer.com/album/448503535
tracklist:
1. Memento Mori 3:30
2. Heart of the Funeral 2:23
3. Blood of the Funeral 5:05
4. Shovel Beats Sceptre 5:01
5. Charlatan 4:11
6. Coffin Carol 4:02
7. Marching Bones 4:03
8. Year of the Maggot 4:13
9. Red Tree of Blood 3:49
10. As We Are 5:35
release notes:
Marduk, thereÆs very little to say about these black metal titans, who
for over 30 years have remained steadfast and true. Surely at this
point they donÆt need any introduction, although, as it happens for
any band that has been around for this long, there will be hardcore
fans, and then fans of specific eras. I bring this up because by next
year, the ôMortuus eraö will be the bandÆs longest, as lead vocalist
Mortuus aka Daniel RostΘn is the bandÆs second longest running member
after the bandÆs founder and guitarist Morgan Hσkansson. And without
further ado, we come to 'Memento Mori', the band's 15th full length,
and released via Century Media Records.
Given how long Marduk has been around, anyone familiar with them can
expect what the band does best, blisteringly fast and unrelentingly
aggressive. The bandÆs presentation is also very well established, as
theyÆve usually switched back and forth between albums focusing on
pure blasphemy and Satanism, or recounting the horrors and cruelty of
war and destruction. On 'Memento Mori', however, Marduk went for a
much different approach, this album is a bitter ode to death, from
funeral rites, to the maggots of the soil and the cold of the grave,
all filtered through classic Marduk styled blasphemous darkness. The
entire albumÆs atmosphere and presentation is fully realized and
cohesive from beginning to end, which is in line with the bandÆs work
since their frankly underrated masterpiece of the Mortuus era; 'Rom
5:12', and after two consecutive war themed records it also feels like
a breath of fresh air.
In regards to specifics, all the hallmarks of classic Marduk are still
present and accounted for. If you want speed and brutality, you got
it, the lead single æBlood of the FuneralÆ and its preceding sister
track æHeart of the FuneralÆ pack an excellent one-two punch that
display how Marduk can still rage on with unswerving sonic violence.
However, and if youÆre like me and enjoy the bandÆs more off-kilter
and atmospheric side, this album will also appeal to you as the band
also display more dynamic compositions and passages with some added
sound effects to enhance the songs and atmospheres. In many ways this
record is very sonically reminiscent of the aforementioned 'Rom 5:12',
but with the technical aggression of albums like 'Frontschwein' and
'Viktoria', however it is the first time that a Marduk album feels
different and in a good way, they certainly still display all their
strong suits but they also show a level of technical refinement and
proficiency that wasnÆt really shown in their previous records, but
then again, releasing two records with a similar theme and sound, and
after a period of adjusting to a new vocalist and then settling on a
sound. But, it's also worth mentioning that this album's songwriting
was handled by Mortuus himself, who is also fresh off releasing a new
Funeral Mist record, so that certainly reflects on why this album
feels different for Marduk. All that to say that this is the first
time in a very long time that Marduk sounds fresh and as if they
closed the door on an era whilst welcoming a new one, at least
sonically.
On more technical terms, the most impressive aspect of MardukÆs
songwriting is how after 30 years, and with Morgan still playing this
fast and this intensely, despite pushing 50. Obviously the band has
never wavered in finding drummers that sound more like machine guns
than people playing blast-beats, and that continues to be the case,
Simon Schilling, previously of Belphegor is yet another worthy drummer
to add in MardukÆs long list of superb percussionists, and it's good
to hear the man obliterate kits on record ever since he joined the
band in full capacity back in 2019, you only need to hear for yourself
how much of a beast he is in all of the albumsÆ ten tracks. Morgan
continues to be a master of fast riffs as well as hiding melodies and
hooks within his blisteringly speedy shredding, and of course front
man Mortuus is still one of the best black metal vocalists of the past
two decades, the manÆs vocals still sound as demented and despotic as
ever, be it here in Marduk, or in Funeral Mist, the man is simply
unmistakable and unmatched and is worthy of being counted among other
emblematic black metal vocalists. And of course, the production work
of Devo Andersson is excellent as expected, even though the man is no
longer with the band, he still gets Marduk on a fundamental level to
the benefit of each song and the album as a whole.
The only major complaint that I have with the albums is that some
songs abruptly end, particularly the second track æHeart of the
FuneralÆ (which is also the shortest), æShovel Beats ScepterÆ,
æCharlatanÆ andæMarching BonesÆ, and by that I mean the songs just
stop, and it gave me severe sonic whiplash, on one hand I can
appreciate the band not wanting to overstay each songÆs welcome, but
having a hard cut and with very intense and aggressive music can
certainly take me out of the experience, especially when contrasted
with how good each song opens and crescendos, and itÆs especially
noticeable with the songs that have more developed closures. It will
certainly be a matter of preference but those abrupt endings kind of
rubbed me the wrong way, but itÆs a good thing that the album as a
whole is so fully engrossing and substantial.
Overall, Marduk have actually managed to release a late career great,
the band successfully ironed out their biggest strengths to make a new
and fully realized sound, while thereÆs still some minor kinks that
can be easily improved, it doesnÆt take away from how after 30 years,
these Swedish death-mongers still have more war to wage and death to
deliver in a tight and concise 40 minute package.