Marduk Dark Endless is the first full length album from these Swedish exponents of extreme metal. I’d never heard this album before as I only got onboard with the guys in the Heaven Shall Burn… era so this was an interesting experience to see where it all started. Infact I didn’t even know they started off as more of a death metal band!
Marduk had visions of being the most extreme blasphemous band ever. With bands like Deicide / Morbid Angel already kicking around and gaining impressive followings at the time this was not going to be an easy task/
This release is a lot different from their more widely known efforts leaning towards a more death metal style rather than the black metal they are known for. The songs display an influence from both black metal and older school death metal (Sounds like the band are major Bolt Thrower fans to me) but this is definitely a dark and evil sound the lads have got going on here. It does however sound a little undercooked. But I’m really only saying that after knowing the band when they became main players in the black metal scene
Over all this is pretty cool. There’s some great parts to this album and has a doomy / death metal feel with black metal vocals thrown over the top. I don’t mind this at all and i’ll listen to it again but I won’t go so far to say it’s an essential release. But it was a great way for the band to start building a following for the onslaught that was to follow in the years to come.
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