Marduk’s history started in 1991, when Morgan Steinmeyer Hakansson wanted to create the most brutal and blasphemous group. The inspiration for their name is the Babylonian god Marduk, who was Babylon’s protector. Indefatigable from all those years they come back with their eleventh studio album giving relief to death and black genres’ audience, which always is waiting for something new from such a recognized and important band. The main subjects of their songs is Satanism, anti-Christianity and it’s power, Bible and many historic facts.

Some listeners may differentiate this record from other previous releases that are harder (Rom 5:12, Opus Nocturne), but I would prefer to see it in a different way. There are more acoustic and darker tracks in this record, like “Funeral Dawn”, but this fact doesn’t negate it’s substance. The first driving track is “Nowhere, No-One, Nothing”, which inclines us for the ultimate black sound. Marduk do not sympathize with the classic ‘noise’ that many groups of this genre use, but every time they prove that except from force and power they have control. Ultimate dark guitar melodies ((Morgan, “Evil”) and riffs that express accurately the black sound are bonded with the brutal color of Daniel Rosten (“Mortuus”) and also with the incendiary performance of drummer Lars Broddesson. Tracks full of anger and thirst for revenge, such as “This Fleshly Void” and “Into Utter Madness”, and other tracks that listeners would hate for adoring them, such as “Phosphorous Redeemer” and “To Redirect Perdition”, they settle to be an explosion of an exorcism. One of the acoustic tracks of the disc is the unique “Unclosing The Curse”, whose mystical melodies remind a ritual atmosphere and the imagination of Dark Forces brings us in mind scenes of the Good and Evil’s battle.

Marduk do not easily disappoint their fans and more and more adore them. Following their influences, and thanks to their expression and creativity, they share with as music that is never going to be forgotten. And the same happens with “Wormwood”.