REVIEW: MARDUK – SERPENT SERMON

There aren’t many bands that exist for over 20 years and keep releasing quality records like Sweden’s Black Metal flagship MARDUK does. In my opinion there isn’t one really bad record in their impressive discography – and we’re speaking of twelve studio albums alone! From the blasphemous anthems of Dark Endless and Those of the Unlight to the blast-beaten brutality of Panzer Division Marduk to the 2009’s full-length Wormwood, MARDUK wrote some of the heaviest riffs and most insane Black Metal songs ever. And with their newest output, Serpent Sermon, they easily keep up this high standard and deliver a record that very well might mark another highlight in their career.

One thing that divides good guitar players from excellent ones is, if their style of playing and the riffs they write are really recognizable. A fact even harder to achieve in a genre like Black Metal, were most limits basically have been defined two decades ago. But you’ll know it’s Håkansson playing just while listening to the album’s opener, the title track. It’s the thin line between harsh, simple power-chords and melodic outbursts that make much of MARDUK’s characteristics, and there’s no band doing it in a similar way. I mean, just listen to the aforementioned song, the melodic riff that comes up for the first time at minute 1:45 makes we wanna puke my heart out, it’s just so so good.

Serpent Sermon is a very uptempo record, but there are also exceptions like the doomy Temple of Decay or the amazing closer, World of Blades. In songs like these MARDUK create a sonic fog that is so opaque and dark, you’ll beg just for the smallest glimpse of light not to go insane. Vocalist Mortuus (Funeral Mist) is doing a great job of course, without a doubt this guy is one of the best singers in Black Metal these days.

For the coming end of the kingdom of heaven, Serpent Sermon delivers the soundtrack: Dark, merciless, heavy and armed to the teeth – for all you black legions to adobt.