29. May 2025
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Media Review

Marduk – Memento Mori

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

Marduk - Memento Mori

Marduk - Memento Mori
4.8

Rating

 4.8/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Great blast of black metal
  • Very speedy, intense listen
  • Good instrumental and vocal work

Definitely, the band Marduk are an established act in the Swedish and international music scene. One obvious proof for that is that their 1st September 2023 release, Memento Mori is already their fifteenth studio album. I received the ten song collection through their promoter and thus had the chance to have a deeper listen. Here is my review.

 

 

Marduk – About The Artists

Marduk are a black metal band from Norrköping. They are active since 1990. Nowadays, Marduk acts as a trio, consisting of Daniel Mortuus Rosten (vocals), Morgan Steinmeyer Hakansson (guitars) and Simon Schilling (drums). Bassist Joel Lindholm had to leave the band in 2023 after showing the Hitler salute before a festival. Vice versa, Hakansson is the only founding member still active in the band. Even though Marduk obviously grew in their home country, Germany is one of their key markets nowadays. The 2018 album Viktoria even ranked in the German Top 10.

 

Marduk – Memento Mori – Track by Track

The ten song album lasts 42 minutes.

1. Memento Mori

I wouldn’t compare the title track with an intro, but it is a slowly increasing song in the first minute, before Marduk is doing what they are doing in this album: merciless, hard, fast black metal. Simon Schilling is in machine gun mode for almost the entire 42 minutes – and the other band members don’t have a slower attitude on their instruments. Welcome to the world of Marduk, 2023.

2. Heart of the Funeral

Through forests of crosses
And through gardens of stone
Over beds of granite
And forgotten bones
Through a wonderland of
Coffins, big and small
In search of the heart
Of the funeral

I am really thankful for the press package to the album. It contains something I surprisingly rarely receive for death and black metal albums: lyrics. Much easier for me to get into the songs and to share their stories. Like Heart of the Funeral, which is a rather short (2:21 minute) warm-up to Blood of the Funeral – even though it is definitely also a song in its own.

3. Blood of the Funeral

After a short break, Marduk present one of the highlights of the album Blood of the Funeral. The have warmed up and now even go for faster speed. Great, atmospheric songwriting and a very balanced sound between the light speed instrumentation and the vocals by Mortuus. Especially the middle part of the song is very atmospheric.

Lifeless altar
A fresh cross of bones
Her cold flesh shall be my voice
Until the worms bring her home

4. Shovel Beats Sceptre

Church bells, dark chords and shouts by the vocalist open this single release, which is another five minute one – and another single release. The album is at its peak here. Great atmospheric work with the typical destructive power of a black metal song.

5. Charlatan

Charlatan works as a slightly slower speed, the darker tone work almost suggests a swaying groove. I have to give in that after some three minutes, the “beast mode” on the drums (I just don’t find any other word for it, the world’s most famous drummer Animal couldn’t do better…) destroys that style. But that’s what people like in here, right?

6. Coffin Carol

Grave words of darkness in grave-lantern light
Your death is a sun among stars
A torch turned upside-down, in order to ignite
The grave lantern in my heart

The Coffin Carol really has some melodic elements. The band is doing amazing work in here again and Daniel Rosten is selling the story in perfection. Cool one.

Your death is a true friend
Your grave a caring nurse
Within whom we now must wallow like swine

7. Marching Bones

The album almost seamlessly continues with Marching Bones. I can limit my comments in here for a good reason. If black metal is the heartbeat of your soul, you have to listen tot his song. Very good work.

8. Year of the Maggot

Again, song takes a slow, atmospheric start – before Marduk are blowing you away with sheer rock power. Here and there, there is a short break and a chance to breathe. Apart from that, you are on a 4:14 minute high speed rollercoaster ride of very dark rock.

9. Red Tree of Blood

The pity is gone
The axe already earned its wings
Bring forth your kings
Off with their limbs!
So, one less slug
In the red tree of blood

The album gets really dark in here. There is a lot of shouting, but also some very atmospheric samples, which add a lot. Cool one.

10. As We Are

As We Are is a song for the masses. I feel that could be a great one at a Marduk show. Raise you first or bang your head, while you say goodbye from Memento Mori.

 

Marduk – Memento Mori – Spotify

Here is the album on Spotify:

 

Marduk – Memento Mori – My View

Hell yeah, I am sweaty! This album is a blast of black metal. I did not have the chance to listen into recent Marduk albums – but some other critics rather had average feelings about them. There is no doubt about the quality of this album, though. One of the metal highlights of the year so far.

 

Favorite Song: Shovel Beats Sceptre

 

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