Review: Marduk / Immolation, The Fleece

Marduk are one of those bands that are just, well, easy to forget about. Like a reliable girlfriend who always texts back with a new album every two years. Skipping along in their corpse paint, being consistently above average, they really are the Black Metal Band Next Door.

Yet,when you see them out of context – in tonight’s case, the cherry atop a technical death metal bill; it’s like seeing them for the first time. Oh my, I never noticed how powerful your blast beats are! And your voice, your voice is like a chainsaw to my heart!

So which unlikely culprits were providing the perfect backbone for Marduk’s triumphant headlining slot? Origin and Immolation – two of the most formidable names in brutal, technical death metal. It’s quite the contrast – Origin, steeped in their mind-boggling intricacy, managing to play more notes in thirty seconds than Marduk do in their entire set.

Unfortunately the flourished detail of their mad riffing gets lost in the muddy sound; but this doesn’t stop the pit erupting for Staring From The Abyss and The Aftermath. And even if you can’t pick out every dissonnant chord, it’s impressive simply to watch a band play so relentlessly fast. Especially when their speed doesn’t compromise the power of their delivery.

While sound problems and a divisive extreme metal crowd seemed to work against these Kansas death metal stalwarts this evening, they still showed off their astounding technical brilliance with effortless prowess.

Then came the reason the majority of people were here: Immolation. For an American death metal band, they’ve been somewhat elusive of late – the last time they played in the UK prior to this tour was 9 years ago. It’s safe to say that the crowd have built up an appetite for this bands dissonant flavour of death metal; and oh boy, do they make up for lost time with a set list that spanned every highlight of their influential 30 year career.

From the unfathomably heavy Father, You’re Not A Father to the perfectly crafted opus Unholy Cult, it’s a feat to behold such complex metal being executed with vigorous precision. 

Honourable mention to guitarist Robert Vigna, for providing a dazzling array of pinch harmonics that made me inwardly squeal with delight. Every metaller has that one thing that they particularly love about the genre: whether it be trem picking, double kick, gutteral vocals; the chances are Immolation will have perfected the element you love best in the live setting.

Playing an hour-long set that was satisfyingly exhaustive; Immolation could have headlined this evening and many would have gone home happy. But no, it was dark, it was late, it was the perfect time for some Swedish black metal.

One of the refreshing things about Marduk is their no nonsense approach; they bash out devastating opener Frontschwein leaving no room for doubt in The Fleece that they’re still a live force to be reckoned with.

Placing the crowd in the centre of their path of destruction, Marduk take every groove and every blast in their stride. From the catchy new Blonde Beast to 90s belter Of Hell’s Fire – this is a band who have outgrown the sloppiness synonymous with classic black metal. What we see now is a finely tuned aggressive beast, roaring with satanic conviction.

In direct comparison to their death metal tour mates, it seems so simple. Who needs pentatonic scales when you have four backwards power chords and endless misanthropy?   Souls for Belial and Cloven Hoof are about as direct as black metal can get, but if Marduk are going to serve us meat and potatoes riffs, at least they will serve them ice cold. Closing on a high with the deliciously dark Wolves, Marduk truly reigned supreme of the extremes tonight.