Here’s another example of a talented band that sacrificed substance in favor of speed, I honestly don’t see why people do it. In Marduk’s case, however, it’s not so upsetting as they somehow manage to keep it interesting. I shall try to explain this by breaking it down…

Guitars – The guitars on this album are simple and (somewhat) one-dimensional, with simple riffs and song-structures. Both in sound and in execution these guitars have little depth, I would have much preferred a thicker sound, this is the only guitar I’ve heard in a while to actually earn the title ‘hellsaw’, as it really does sound like a saw(!). Technically this is as bad as it gets, the riffs are ALWAYS based upon simple power-chords and are extremely simple, the rare solos sound half-hearted as well… Poor – 4/10

Vocals – Basically a very low-pitched Black Metal scream. The vocals on this disc were done very nicely, I can’t think of any other vocalist who would really fit into the war atmosphere of this CD as the vocalist of this band did… Excellent – 9/10

Drums – 100% blast beats, and I’ve never heard a more perfect blast beat before… there are absolutely no beats missed, the cymbals are hit (on average) twice each second, and they completely add to the warlike and violent nature of this disc. I would have liked more diversity, but you won’t see me complaining as it is… Excellent – 9/10

Bass – This band has an obviously skilled bassist. The lines he thinks up are genius (especially given the simple nature of the guitars) and are played perfectly. He even has a short solo on track 7 (well it ain’t really a solo, but the bass is in the spotlight, and for those of you who play guitar – he does tapping on the neck of the bass during that sequence.)… Excellent – 9/10

Synth/Atmosphere – Thankfully, absolutely no synths are used on this disc. They do, however, use old recordings of various battles (during WWII, I think) as intros, which greatly helps in creating a warlike and violent atmosphere. Good – 8.5/10

Production – The production is very dirty sounding on this CD, VERY dirty sounding… it is almost painful to listen to. The guitars sound razor-thin and the bass is pushed to the background, the drums also sound sup-par. The first time you listen to this CD it will seem like a big mess, with a singer screaming on top of it all. ‘Tis truly unfortunate, as the CD would be MUCH more immersing with better production… Poor – 4/10

This CD is a half-hour slab of violent War-Metal, and strongly recommended for fans of the genre. As for myself, I’ll just go back to listening to my other CDs, as this kind of music isn’t for me… even when it’s done well…

Pros – Great Drumming, good vocals, good bass, ultra-fast tempo, nice war samples
Cons – Poor production, half-hearted riffs and solos, stupid title…. ; )
Style of Music – War Metal with strong Black Metal roots and influences, done quite nicely.
Will likely appeal to – Marduk Fans, violent personalities

Overall –… Good – 8/10

© 2000 sauron anarazel