Album Review: Marduk – Memento Mori (Century Media Records)

The renowned Swedish black metal band Marduk is back with a new release entitled ‘Memento Mori’. This marks Marduk’s 15th studio album, set to be unleashed upon the world on September 1st, 2023, via Century Media Records.

This far into their careers, there’s no changing Marduk. For decades they have brought a hellish cacophony of raw blackened noise into the light for hungry fans to feast upon, and that’s pretty much what we get with Memento Mori. It is another slice of horror, primordial and guttural, with ten tracks of garish brutality on display. Which is exactly how we like it. There’s nobody asking for a shift in the Marduk sound, and they are more than willing to continue their fine form.

Though, don’t let that fool you into thinking this is just the ‘same old’ stuff from Marduk. It is, in places, but elsewhere the black metal group showcase more raw energy and chaos than usual (Heart of the Funeral), go absolutely wild and complex (Blood of the Funeral), deliver some gothic ambience and storytelling (Shovel Beats Sceptre), and gargantuan savagery (Charlatan).

All that, in the first half of the record. It is exactly what fans of Marduk want to hear. The band being as uncompromising as ever, but not resting on their laurels and phoning it in. Unsurprisingly, there’s little in the way of ‘melody’ or ‘rhythm,’ as we know them, to be found as the album goes on. Coffin Carol, Marching Bones, Year of the Maggot, Red Tree of Blood, and As We Are. Each an individual slab of guttural abhorrence, revulsion, and fiendishness.

Now, while long-term fans of Marduk and black metal in general will come away extremely satisfied. It has to be said that detractors won’t have their minds changed, at this stage, if you dislike this band’s music, Memento Mori isn’t doing anything to make you feel differently. The taste of filth they offer is as vomitus as always, and gluttons for this sound will gorge themselves happily.

Marduk – Memento Mori Track Listing:

1. Memento Mori
2. Heart of the Funeral
3. Blood of the Funeral
4. Shovel Beats Sceptre
5. Charlatan
6. Coffin Carol
7. Marching Bones
8. Year of the Maggot
9. Red Tree of Blood
10. As We Are

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