MARDUK - LA GRANDE DANSE MACABRE (2001)

On a first print vinyl limited to 1000 copies on Blooddawn Productions/Regain Records. I also included the original CD release because I think the vinyl release have so much better artwork and also the classic Marduk logo. Of the 13 (soon 14) full length studio albums Marduk have made La Grande Danse Macabre is my least favorite. But by Marduk standard that's better then MANY other bands!

They had set such a high standard with their previous album Panzer Division Marduk (1999) so La Grande Danse Macabre had a huge task trying to follow that. Still there’s great songs on this record and is worth getting for the brilliant song Azrael alone but also Jesus Christ... Sodomized.

La Grande Danse Macabre starts off the album with the 2 min with a great instrumental intro song Ars Moriendi. It continues with the already mentioned Azrael  I don’t understand why the 3rd song is another 2.5 min instrumental piece called Pompa Funebris 1660 even if it’s a good one it slows down the flow of the album.

Obedience Until Death is good but nothing special. The next the 7 minutes song Bonds Of Unholy Matrimony has many great passages but could've been better had it been shorter. Death Sex Ejaculation also ends very well. The 8 min title track La Grande Danse Macabre is the most disappointing one. It actually have a verse written with Swedish lyrics.

Then something weird Funeral Bitch was amazing on the EP Obedience (2000) the album version isn't close to the filthy and intense sound it had 15 months before on the EP. Summer's End has some great guitar playing by Mogge but it feels out of place on this record. The last song on the album however Jesus Christ... Sodomized is a great Marduk song so at least it ends on a strong note.

The production is the weakest Marduk ever had on a full length album. HOWEVER an album is only as good as its songs and it's there they fail at most. Even if it was evident that Marduk needed to make huge changes they still did the amazing World Funeral (2003) in The Abyss Studio.

Remember when I bought this album back in 2001 and it didn't many times because my criticism of it 17 years ago was even harder. There’s probably people who discovered the band with La Grande Danse Macabre or even have it as their favorite Marduk album. I do appreciate this album much more nowadays and you got to understand that the scene was completely different back in 2001. I had been listening to Black Metal since 1994 and during those 7 years there had been so many timeless classic albums so my expectations on Marduk were high to say the least.

I've really been negative throughout the entire post but still I wouldn't have gotten it on vinyl if I didn't think it have some redeemable quality to it. The term "vinyl worthy" is something I often use whenever I purchase a vinyl. In my entire collection of Black/Death/Thrash Metal or any other music for that matter. It's one of my rules otherwise I would be happy just to have something on an old CD that I bought back in the day. Then to track down a first print or reissue vinyl because I only want quality records in my LP collection.

Really wish that longtime drummer Fredrik Andersson (1993-2002) had gotten a better album to leave the band with. However he will always be my favorite Marduk drummer.

I still think you should make up your own mind on La Grande Danse Macabre and as always praise hail Marduk!!

Promo ad for the album I scanned from a magazine I own and some other interesting records.