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Album Review – Marduk / Memento Mori (2023)

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One of the pillars of Swedish Black Metal is back with a devilish new album encapsulating the raw and unrelenting intensity that has become synonymous with the band’s sound, reminding us that we all must die.

Four years after the release of their warlike opus Viktoria, the renowned, ruthless Swedish Black Metal horde Marduk is ready to haunt our souls once again with Memento Mori, the fifteenth studio album in their undisputed career. Produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by Magnus “Devo” Andersson at Endarker Studio, with photography by Håkan Sjödin and layout and design by the band’s own Daniel “Mortuus” Rostén at Holy Poison Design, Memento Mori encapsulates the raw and unrelenting intensity that has become synonymous with the band’s sound, showcasing the signature blend of aggressive guitar riffs, thunderous drums and chilling vocals by vocalist Daniel “Mortuus” Rostén, guitarist Morgan “Evil” Steinmeyer Håkansson and drummer Simon Schilling, plus guest bassists Magnus “Devo” Andersson and Joel Lindholm, evoking a sense of darkness and despair and, therefore, once again proving why Marduk will always be one of the pillars of Swedish Black Metal.

A wicked, sinister intro gradually evolves into the infernal title-track Memento Mori, spearheaded by the massive beats by Simon and the always demonic gnarls by Mortuus in a straightforward feast of classic Swedish Black Metal for the masses; and there’s no time to breathe as the band offers another Stygian creation titled Heart of the Funeral, bringing forward all elements we learned to love in their music, with Evil’s riffs sounding truly scorching. Blood of the Funeral, the first single of the album, is an absolute banger, with Mortuus vociferating the song’s devilish lyrics majestically (“High on the flesh / Of the knell and the psalm / Drunk on the blood / Of the funeral / Ridden by lust / And sepulchral thirst / I come dressed in hunger / And the trauma of birth”), flowing into the phantasmagorical, haunting aria Shovel Beats Sceptre, a neck-breaking tune by Marduk where Devo and Simon will crush your skull mercilessly with their hammering kitchen. Then back to their more venomous, demolishing mode, Devo and Simon continue to attack our souls with their rumbling bass and drums in Charlatan, while Evil extracts pure Black Metal magic from his guitar.

Coffin Carol is undoubtedly one of the most infernal and demented of all songs from the album, with Mortuus sounding bestial throughout the entire song while Evil and Devo deliver a flawless Black Metal stringed attack for our total delight. Furthermore, they keep attacking our senses with absolutely no remorse in Marching Bones, where Mortuus keeps roaring and barking in the name of Black Metal while Simon pounds his drums with tons of groove and fury, even presenting the more rebellious elements from the music by bands like The Misfits. The haunting intros found in some of the songs add a nice touch to the entire album, which is also the case in Year of the Maggot, exploding into their classic Black Metal and overflowing darkness and rage, presenting not a single second of peace as expected. Their second to last sonic attack comes in the form of Red Tree of Blood, offering our putrid ears another endless dosage of pure Black Metal led by the hellish roars by Mortuus and the always demented blast beats by Simon; whereas lastly it’s time for a sinister Doom Metal-infused aria titled As We Are, showcasing truly anguished, deep gnarls by Mortuus while his bandmates simply darken our minds with their Stygian sounds.

“Memento Mori is, all at once, a bold leap forward, a calculated sidestep, and a wistful backward glance. Meaning, we have broken new ground without forgetting our legacy or the journey that brought us to this point,” commented the bestial Mortuus about the band’s newborn black mass, and you can put your damned hands on this demonic album by clicking HERE, as well as show your support to those Swedish demons by following them on Facebook and on Instagram to be updated about their tours, their music and plans for the future, and by streaming their venomous creations on YouTube and on Spotify. Marduk’s new album is here to remind us that we all must die, distilling their Black Metal to perfection like they’ve always done, and like they will always do until their very last breath.

Best moments of the album: Heart of the Funeral, Blood of the Funeral, Coffin Carol and Marching Bones.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2023 Century Media

Track listing
1. Memento Mori 3:30
2. Heart of the Funeral 2:23
3. Blood of the Funeral 5:05
4. Shovel Beats Sceptre 5:02
5. Charlatan 4:12
6. Coffin Carol 4:02
7. Marching Bones 4:03
8. Year of the Maggot 4:14
9. Red Tree of Blood 3:50
10. As We Are 5:36

Band members
Daniel “Mortuus” Rostén – vocals, bass, lead guitars on “Blood of the Funeral” and “As We Are”
Morgan “Evil” Steinmeyer Håkansson – guitars
Simon Schilling – drums

Guest musicians
Magnus “Devo” Andersson – bass
Joel Lindholm – bass
LG Petrov – additional vocals on “As We Are”

Album Review – Arch Enemy / Deceivers (2022)

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One of the most important names of the current heavy music scene is back in action with their most solid and detailed album with Alissa White-Gluz on vocals.

Marking the longest gap between two of their studio albums since their 2017 opus Will to Power, the breathtaking Deceivers, the eleventh studio album by Swedish Melodic Death Metal icons Arch Enemy, not only will inspire you to break your neck headbanging to its 11 pulverizing tracks, but it’s also by far their most solid and detailed album with the she-wolf Alissa White-Gluz on vocals. Produced, mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen and Hansen Studios, and displaying a classy artwork by Alex Reisfar, Deceivers brings to our avid ears a much more cohesive band where the guitars by Michael Amott and Jeff Loomis, supported by the heavy-as-hell kitchen by bassist Sharlee D’Angelo and drummer Daniel Erlandsson, provide Alissa with exactly what she needs to roar in full force, not to mention it’s also their first album from the Alissa-era where her clean vocals do not sound out of place; quite the contrary, they actually bring a welcome additional touch to their unparalleled music.

The unmatched guitar lines by Michael and Jeff set the stage for Alissa to kick some serious ass with her deep roaring in Handshake with Hell, an absolute banger spearheaded by the classic, pounding drums by Daniel, and they waste no time and keep decimating our senses with their undisputed Melodic Death Metal in Deceiver, Deceiver, where Sharlee and Daniel craft a boisterous kitchen perfect for Alissa’s screams, resulting in a true circle pit machine. In the Eye of the Storm is more melodic and somber than its predecessors with Michael and Jeff cutting your skin deep with their riffs and solos in a more contemporary version of Arch Enemy. Then it’s time for a fulminating creation entitled The Watcher, where Alissa sounds fantastic throughout the entire song growling and screaming deeply like there’s no tomorrow, not to mention the heavy artillery brought forward by Daniel; whereas Poisoned Arrow is the least exciting of all tracks, an introspective creation by Arch Enemy showcasing their usual melodic lines but that lacks the same power from the rest of the album.

Sharlee’s metallic bass ignites the infernal, epic Sunset over the Empire, with Alissa being absolutely demonic on vocals accompanied by her unstoppable bandmates, while House of Mirrors, one of the first singles to come out, sounds in line with their most recent albums, with Michael and Jeff once again elevating the song’s kick with their pulverizing riffs and solos. Dedicated to the memory of LG Petrov from Death Metal institution Entombed, who passed away in 2021 after battling an incurable form of bile duct cancer, Spreading Black Wings is a lot darker than its predecessors, with Daniel dictating the song’s somber pace in great fashion, flowing into the interlude Mourning Star, soothing our souls before the band comes ripping once again in One Last Time, a vicious composition that will inspire you to slam into the pit to the venomous roars by Alissa while Sharlee and Daniel bring thunder and groove to the overall result. Lastly, a sinister intro evolves into a marching tune entitled Exiled from Earth, putting an obscure and climatic ending to the album to the sharp riffage by Michael and Jeff. Moreover, if I were you I would go for the boxset or artbook edition of the album, as they offer us as bonus tracks their electrifying renditions for Fight’s undisputed hit Into the Pit (check the original version HERE), and Picture’s Diamond Dreamer (check the original version HERE).

As already mentioned, Alissa sounds a lot more in sync with the music by Arch Enemy in Deceivers, in special her clean vocals which now make a positive difference whenever they’re inserted in one of the songs from the album, strengthening the legacy of the band even more in the current metal scene. Having said that, you should definitely go after your favorite version of the album by clicking HERE, and also by streaming it in full on Spotify, and don’t forget to follow the band on Facebook, on Instagram and on YouTube for news, tour dates and more of their awesome music. Now it’s just a matter of enjoying Deceivers by listening to it as many times as you want, by getting ready for their thrilling live concerts, by raising your horns to the first-class Melodic Death Metal played by one of the most important names in the more recent history of heavy music.

Best moments of the album: Handshake with Hell, Deceiver, Deceiver, The Watcher and Sunset over the Empire.

Worst moments of the album: Poisoned Arrow.

Released in 2022 Century Media

Track listing
1. Handshake with Hell 5:38
2. Deceiver, Deceiver 3:51
3. In the Eye of the Storm 4:09
4. The Watcher 4:58
5. Poisoned Arrow 3:51
6. Sunset over the Empire 4:03
7. House of Mirrors 3:40
8. Spreading Black Wings 4:46
9. Mourning Star 1:36
10. One Last Time 3:49
11. Exiled from Earth 4:44

Boxset/Artbook bonus tracks
12. Into the Pit (Fight cover) 3:52
13. Diamond Dreamer (Picture cover) 3:53

Band members
Alissa White-Gluz – vocals
Michael Amott – lead guitars, backing vocals
Jeff Loomis – lead guitars, backing vocals
Sharlee D’Angelo – bass
Daniel Erlandsson – drums

Guest musicians
Jacob Hansen – vocals on “Sunset over the Empire”
Raphael Liebermann – cello on “Poisoned Arrow”