After more than three decades, Swedish stalwarts Marduk still don’t know the meaning of the word surrender. The black metal legends from Norrköping are as prolific now as in their early years and all that time they have stayed the course both musically and lyrically. Back in the day, they were mainly inspired by satanic and anti-Christian themes but in later years they turned their attention to other topics such as WWII and the Third Reich. Predictably there was a certain amount of backlash but Marduk have always distanced themselves from right-wing circles. The Swedish band’s 13th studio album ‘Frontschwein’ (2015) highlights their non-stop black metal pummelling side. The frantic pace and surgical precision of the unrelenting black metal barrage also marks their live performances, although their curriculum also includes a smattering of slow and ominous tracks. Their last album to date is ‘Viktoria’, a blend of battering ram tracks and Marduk’s more melodic side, proving that black metal can sound varied and still be crushingly oppressive at the same time. Their new album ‘Memento Mori’ is set for a 2023 release. #GMM23
