For advanced listeners of metal and all the loyal extreme metal fans:
Black metal, blacker mood

I discovered two things today --- Uno, MINI drivers actually take themselves quite seriously and dos, there is a quite vocal minority of movie fans that think The Italian Job is brilliant --- I've seen it all now, on to the task at hand

The metal scene in Sweden continues its very strong current tradition in contemporary metal styles with the new release from Marduk, World Funeral. Over the course of recent events, some fans have been jumping ship from the Marduk bandwagon since their last release --- as if Marduk had somehow lost the pulse of what is interesting in black metal or had eek, "sold-out" --- of course, thems is fighting words in the underground metal community

World Funeral may disappoint some in that it is not that traditional all-out, speedy, thick with blast beats Marduk approach. This album features about a 50/50 mix of heavy sounding, gloomy numbers, and all out speedy, technical crushers. In other words, you're not getting Panzer Division again, but that's a good thing, isn't it? Here it most certainly is.

World Funeral features a pretty diverse attack on your senses, heaviness, some excellent melodicism (Castrum Doloris) and also textbook Marduk explosiveness. This album sounds good and loud, there is something usually to be said about small label records sounding like they were recording in a tin can --- no such problems here

There is quite a diversity in the metal here. From the more textbook Marduk approach "With Satan and Victorious Weapons", "Blessed Unholy", "World Funeral", to more heavy crunch of "Bleached Bones" and "Bloodletting", to some melodicism. It still isn't anywhere near palatable to the mainstream, yet Marduk should be commended for their willingness and ability to play a variety of styles , and play them really well.

So, if you want a relentless and varied black metal assault for 45 minutes, this one probably will not disappoint. Again, not for everyone, but you never know until you try, no?

Our grade:
MARDUK - World Funeral: B+

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