Marduk! A band that is over a decade keep conquering the extreme audience… every obstacle on their way!
But let’s take everything on a row. In 1990 a kid named Morgan Håkansson decided to establish a band to play as much extreme and blasphemous music as he could. Immediately, the band started rehearsing intensely and in the start of 1991 their first (now a classic) demo under the radical title “Fuck me Jesus”.
This release aroused the interest of the audience instantly since it didn’t have any relationship with the Swedish scene then which was excluded from bands that tried to sound like Entombed. So because of the exceeding extravagance of their songs and their demonic approach as far as the lyrics area is concerned, they received a cult status which started becoming more apparent in their first live appearances. Inverse crosses, pentagrams, nails, bullets and various others black metal cliché had become an inextricable part of the band and its fans.
Exactly after the release of “Fuck me Jesus” they re-entered the studio to record the “7” single “Here’s no Peace” which included the brand new song “Still Fucking Dead” and the re-recorded version of “Into the Abyss”. The single was never released and so, the band decided to center on the writing of tracks for their first full length album “Dark Endless”, which was released from No Fashion Records in the December of 1992. Instantly, the band name started becoming more and more known and they managed to pull the interest of Osmose Productions. Just three months after the release of “Dark Endless”, they re-enter the studio to start the recordings for their next venture which was released at the fall of 1993 under the title “Those of the Unlight”. Having two albums on the market and live experience which was acquired from the various concerts they had played till then, there was the time for an extended tour.
Along with their label mates Immortal, at June they begin their first strike on the European map. After returning home from the tour, they decided not to rest but on the contrary, they started writing songs for the heir of “Those of the Unligt”. The result this time was something much different from what they had done till then. “Opus Nocturne”! An extreme while at the same time extremely speedy album, containing classic songs such as “Sulphur Souls”, “Materialized in Stone” etc. Their success, led them to their first headline tour in Europe which had the title “Winter War”. At the same year, “Fuck me Jesus” is re-released as a mini CD which was banned from 7 countries due to the cult reputation its shocking cover artwork had received.
In the summer, Marduc make their first transatlantic journey to play a small number of concerts in Mexico. The autumn passed, while they were composing the material for their fourth full length album “Heaven Shall Burn…We Are Gathered”, which was released at the February of 1996. Then at the first time the band used (the unknown at that time) Abyss studio and not the Hellspawn studio, in which they had recorded all their previous works. The result of the recordings was so fast and brutal for the time that many people doubted if it was a real musician job or “patents” of the studio’s technicians. After almost two or three months later this unholy company returns to the Abyss studio to record the mini-CD Glorification which was released during the “Heaven Shall Burn” tour. The specific tour was the biggest success of the band till then and on its duration, the first live album of Marduk was released, which was called “Germania”. Containing (until then) their best material, “Germania” proved even to the disbelievers that the band is comprised from proficient musicians and can present their material live with the same comfort that they do in the studio. On the March of 1997 a second and smaller tour for “Heaven…” follows which had the name “Legion”.
On the summer of the same year the band flies to Germany to play on the Reunion show of Mayhem. 1997 was the year in which the now forgotten “Here’s no Peace” “7” was released from the Shadow Records. During fall, the band visits for another time the Abyss Studios for the recording of the next concept album “Nightwing”. The specific album is divided in two parts and lyrically it has to do with the truths, the life and the dates that Vlad Tepes Dracula lived. After the release of the album the band went on the road once again for the festival tour “No Mercy”. A tour which started on the spring and ended on the autumn of 1997.
Marduk now, decided to provoke and shock release their most fast and extreme album. A hell of 30 minutes divided on 8 supersonic tracks “packed” on a cd under the title “Panzer Division Marduk”! The release of “Panzer..” was followd by the most ambitious tour of Marduk until then. The “World Panzer Battle” tour included numerous appearances in 3 continents and the cyclometer of the tour bus writing more than 100.000 miles.
Discontented from the support from their company, they decide to part ways with Osmose Productions. Afterwards, many suggestions followed from the biggest labels of the kind which they discarded and decided to find their own, Blooddawn Productions. In the end of 2000 comes the first release of Blooddawn, the masochistic EP “Obedience”. The CD contained two brand new tracks and a cover to the “Into The Crypt of Rays” of Celtic Frost. In the same year and after proving they are alive after their “break” with Osmose Productions, the second release of marduk in Blooddawn was a fact. To celebrate their tenth anniversary, they release a double live album under the title “Infernal Eternal”. The album was released during the duration of the French concerts of “World Panzer Battle” tour.
Marduk continuing their black metal Odyssey, they re-enter Abyss studios in the December of 2000 to record “La Grande Danse Macabre”. One album that showed the other face of Marduk in which they showed their compositional skills in a really different way of riffing than the one they had us used to.
Having their own label responsible for the distribution in Europe, they close a deal with Century Media for distribution in America for their next albums, as well as “Obedience” and “Infernal Eternal”. During 2001, more than 115 concerts take place in the two coasts of Atlantic. This musical slaughter started from Europe, where Marduk played 31 headline concerts crossing the entire continent. Except the fact that they returned home with high fever and pneumonia, they stayed home only for 4 days until they hit the road, this time for a one month tour with Deicide. Having Marduk as an opening act, the tour couldn’t be any better and so the band ended with suggestions for a second, headline this time tour. After returning home, they stayed there for two weeks and then they travelled to Belgium to appear as headliners on one of the stages of the Graspop Metal Meeting. The rest of the summer was dedicated to the preproduction of the box set “Blackcrowned”. Because of the facts of the September 11th they are forced to postpone the second part of their American tour for later. During December they toured once again in Europe, first as headliners and later escorting Cannibal Corpse on X-mass festival tour which was sold out in most cities.
On the January of 2002 their tour in America ins postponed once again due to bureaucracy problems with the embassy. Without sitting with their hands crossed and let the time pass unharnessed, they started immediately composing material for their next album. One month later the time had arrived for that great release of the box set “Blackcrowned”.
But things on Marduk’s camp weren’t rosy. The latest time the band’s drummer Fredrik Andersson, had slowly started receding from the rest of the band. Cause was that the heavy schedule of Marduk had started tiring this unceasing machine with a result to lose completely his interest. In the March of 2002 Fredrik announced to the band his exit, giving them his best wishes for the future. Soon he was changed from a thirsty young drummer whose passion sent him soon behind Marduk’s drum kit.
The summer came and with it an incredibly amazing proposal. A ten week tour with the legendary Danzig. Even after unceasing efforts from both of the companies of both bands Marduk weren’t in position to travel to America and for one more time they had to cancel the tour!
After this another back-set, they decided to pass the summer finishing their 8th full length album and play on With Full Force Festival in Germany and Tuska Open Air in Finland.
Autumn passed recording “World Funeral” and rehearsing the new songs for the forthcoming tours.
After the release of the album they finally manage to escort Danzig on his European part of his tour. As soon as they returned from the tour there were drastic changes in the band’s lineup. Change of singer and bassist. But the band isn’t disheartened. They continue with the endless tours, recording the considerably different album “Plague Angel” receiving amazing critics from the press all over the world, record another live album in which they present the new line-up of the band to those who didn’t have the luck to watch them live yet and for another time they regain the audience with their blasphemies.
2006 has already entered and finds Marduk headliners in various festivals in Finland, Sweden, Germany, Slovakia. On the 10th of December a double DVD is released from Puke Salvation and later the band prepares to enter the studio for the recordings of their 10th album.
The band is on the studio during December – January recording the forthcoming album while having replaced drummer Emil with Lars Broddesson.
On February the band immediately flies to Mexico for some appearances in festivals and in April the band tours Russia and Ukraine promoting in the best way the forthcoming album. The same month the album is released under the title Rom 5:12 and is distinguished by many as the best album they have released. I won’t refer into more details since you’ll have the chance to read an entire review in the relative column of the website.
The summer has entered and finds Marduk appearing in chosen festivals such as Sweden Rock Festival, Metaltown Festival and Waldrock Open Air. The year passes and finds Marduk preparing their new “strikes” along with their new booking agency. As soon as you’re given the change to watch them live don’t miss them… it’ll be your loss!
Ilias Fragotsis.