CoC : Marduk - Live in Germania : Review

Marduk - _Live in Germania_
(Osmose Productions, 1997)
by: Henry Akeley (8 out of 10)

The idea of black metal concert albums seems sort of weird to me, given black metal's supposedly clandestine and anti-social spirit. Thus, I was a little bit dubious about _Live in Germania_ before I actually listened to it. But now, I must say, I'm highly impressed by this. For one thing, the performances and production are both totally solid. The band blasts and thunders skillfully through just under an hour's worth of material, and the recording strikes a nice balance of clarity, power, and tangible live electricity. The song selection covers a good mix of new and old material, and it's especially cool to hear great old songs like "Wolves" and "On Darkened Wings" injected with extra on-stage intensity. ("Wolves" simply kills.) They even perform "The Black Goat..." from their notorious demo. In addition to these tracks, there are three songs from _Opus Nocturne_ and five from _Heaven Shall Burn_, while a cover of the Destruction classic "Total Desaster" closes out the album with a blast of pure, ass-kicking energy. The songs are nicely sequenced, too, with slower numbers like "Materialized in Stone" and "Draculi Va Domni..." providing contrast with the more hell-paced stuff. They may not be one of the most innovative bands in the black metal scene, but as this worthy recording demonstrates yet again, Marduk is definitely one of the most unrelentingly intense. Impressive.

(article published 12/8/1997)

CHATS
4/11/2009	J Smit	Marduk: Unholy Blasphemies
31/1/2008	J Smit	Marduk: Echoes of Decimation
10/6/2007	J Smit	Marduk: Hosannas From the Basement of Hell
29/11/2004	J Smit	Marduk: The Plague Rages On
14/3/1999	D Rocher	Marduk: Far Beyond the Grace of God

ALBUMS
1/7/2012	J Carbon	7.5	Marduk - Serpent Sermon
26/6/2011	J Carbon	6.5	Marduk - Iron Dawn
24/10/2009	J Ulrey	8.5	Marduk - Wormwood
1/5/2007	J Smit	9.5	Marduk - Rom 5:12
29/11/2004	J Smit	8.5	Marduk - Plague Angel
13/5/2001	M Noll	8	Marduk - La Grande Danse Macabre
12/8/1999	D Rocher	9	Marduk - Panzer Division Marduk
13/4/1998	S Hoeltzel	7.5	Marduk - Nightwing
11/10/1996	S Hoeltzel	8	Marduk - Glorification
11/10/1996	S Hoeltzel	9	Marduk - Heaven Shall Burn When We Are Gathered

GIGS
2/12/2007	J Smit	Marduk / Vreid	A Doomsday Celebration
13/5/2001	M Noll	Marduk / Mortician / Vader / God Dethroned / Amon Amarth / Mystic Circle / Sinister / ...And Oceans / Bal Sagoth	Baptized by Fire and Beer
12/8/2000	M Noll	Deicide / Immortal / Cannibal Corpse / Marduk / Vader / Dark Funeral / Hate Eternal / Vomitory	There's No Mercy in Satan's Oven
15/1/2000	P Azevedo	Marduk / Angelcorpse / Enthroned	Night of the Living Corpses
15/1/2000	M Noll	Cannibal Corpse / Marduk / Angelcorpse / Aeternus / Defleshed	Two Corpses, One God and No Flesh