MARDUK
Iron Dawn MLP YELLOW SPLATTER
Brand new and unplayed.
Imported from France's OSMOSE productions
Osmose Productions, Re-issue, 300x yellow opaque with black splatters 12" (140g) - SIDE B come with a black silkscreen print, in a microtene innersleeve, printed innersleeve full-color on 220g, jacket full-color printed on 350g, all assembled in a plastic overbag.
Marduk's war-themed albums, while often well thought out, have generally suffered from a lack of proper execution. Their first stab at this theme, with Panzer Division Marduk, is generally considered a classic of aggressive black metal. For me, songs such as the album titled track or "Christraping Black Metal" are certainly classics, but in general, the album has too many moments of complete and utter sterility. Legion's vocals were too bland, the mix generally suffers from a "wall of sound" syndrome, in which the cymbals of the drums blend too much into the treble of the guitar. The guitar tone lacks mids, and the riffs themselves are often incredibly repetitive.
Much later after Panzer... (and even after the album currently being reviewed) Marduk released both Frontschwein and Viktoria. These albums are much better produced and have a lot better vocal performance than Panzer…. However, they feel tired in comparison to previous releases. The energy given off from these releases generally lacks compared to anything Marduk has done before, and while they're decent enough albums, they fail to capture the adrenaline that made Marduk an amazing band.
Where Marduk fired the arrow and hit the bullseye in terms of war-themed releases was this little 3 track release called Iron Dawn, which might just be my favorite Marduk album (certainly tied with Rom 5:12, and could be debatably better). In three tracks, Marduk sets its sights on sonically delivering the chaotic brutality of war, and executes to such a degree of perfection that you can't help but listen to the EP on repeat. It is amazing as much as it is haunting.
First off, everything about the album packaging and cover is perfect. The picture of a massive Panzer tank is imprinted in a muddled black, as if it has been left under the rubble of war and had significant damage. The inner booklet features lyrics, but two of the songs are printed in a smeared ink that is impossible to read. The third track’s lyrics are just barely legible. This imagery sinks into the listener, as if they have just received the debris of a massive battle. Holding this album feels like you're holding an artifact of war.
When you start the album, you are instantly bombarded with a sample of a siren, and immediately thrown into the tyranny of chaotic warfare. In this moment, Marduk truly realizes the artistic expression they merely attempted on Panzer.... Samples of artillery, sirens, guns, bombs, are all perfectly infused into their trademark treble picking and blastbeats. Mortuus' powerful and expressive vocals lay into the groundwork of the sound, but also dynamically move throughout the song in a way Legion could never do.
When the four minutes of chaos delivered by the first track is over, you are left shell shocked, only to be launched into the second track. This song moves incredibly similar to the previous one, but begins as if you are already in the heart of war. It fits perfectly into the overall structure of the album. The distant firings of guns and bombs start the song off, and out of nowhere the guitars and drums come in with a powerful punch. The song does a good job opening itself to more open moments that give the listener a break from constant blast beats, but these are just long enough to take a brief breath.
When the third track comes in, the listener may be exhausted, but Marduk is seemingly aware of that. This track begins by bringing the listener right into the heart of a war-torn Berlin, with the distant sound of a German singer played in the background of gunfire and bombardment. Unlike the other tracks, this one moves slower, and has the only readable lyrics on the entire album. Mortuus lyrically paints a visceral picture of the heart of World War Two, and while his vocal dynamicism is incredible, his phrasing of the lyrics is also great, extending out his cries for perfect lengths of time at perfect points in time. His performance on this song makes it incredibly engaging.
They end the EP after the third track, and although it's relatively short, it feels practically perfect in length. These tracks, in combination, take you through the brutality of war unlike any band has ever been able to recreate, and leaves the listener in shock and awe.