MARDUK - WARSCHAU (2005)

On a reissue gold double vinyl that comes with a poster to limited 200 copies released on Century Media in 2018.

I also included the cover variant that's on the slipcase from the 2005 CD. It's the same image inside the gatefold but that one is slightly altered. I really enjoy the design of this vinyl release.

It’s been awhile since I posted something on Marduk have owned this record for months now so it’s about damn time to write about it. Have been caught up in the music by Bathory for quite some time now.

This release was done to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Marduk. Since Mortuus/Arioch had joined and Devo had returned to the band this were their 3rd release.

Warschau is in my opinion the very best Marduk live album. If I was to rate it among my favorite Black Metal live records of all time it would be very high up there. Definitely a top-3 worthy release.

What makes it special is the unfiltered, raw, harsh recording. While Live In Germania (1997) felt like it had quite many things rerecorded in the studio.

The songs are of course very important whenever a band releases a live record. Already 15 years ago when this was recorded Marduk had released 9 studio albums and a bunch of EP’s. So there’s a lot to choose from.

Great to hear Mortuus do vocals on 5 of the old classics from when Andreas Axelsson (1990-93) and Joakim Af Gravf (1993-95)  were vocalists. The songs are pretty predictable though:

• The Black...
• Burn My Coffin
• On Darkned Wings
• Wolves
• Sulphur Souls

Also the 6 ones from the Legion era, the 3 last are from World Funeral (2003). I don't mind that at all even if I rate it their 3rd "worst" album I also rate it maybe their most underrated record:

• Slay The Nazarene
• Panzer Division Marduk
• Azrael
• With Satan And Victorious Weapons
• Bleached Bones
• To The Death's Head True

6 of the 17 songs on this album are from the then almost 1 year old Plague Angel (2004) that do I consider to be my 4th favorite Marduk album. I got no complains about the songs from that one:

• The Hangman Of Prague
• Seven Angels, Seven Trumpets
• Blutrache
• Steel Inferno
• Throne Of Rats
• Warschau

Always when a band got such an amazing and extensive discography as Marduk one will always wish for own personal favorites. Even if they did many from Heaven Shall Burn... When We Are Gathered (1996) on the Live In Germania album with Legion. I wanted at least 1 or more songs from that record.

Others I personally would like them to have recorded are some more from the Dark Endless (1992) and Fuck Me Jesus (1991) releases. Only one from my favorite Marduk album Opus Nocturne (1994) is far too few. I would be pleased with just one of these From Subterranean Throne Profound, The Sun Has Failed or Materialized In Stone..

But enough about the songs who is on it or isn't! It's the performance that I'm most pleased with.

Warschau was recorded in the city with the same name, Warsaw in English, located in Poland during their Deathmarch Tour in September of 2005.

What makes this the best Marduk live album is not just because it sounds fucking amazing. Once again I’ve got to give praise to Mortuus for this who I consider to be the best vocalist in the entire Black Metal scene.

Said this many times before but what he has done in Marduk, Funeral Mist and do not forget about Triumphator has only been beaten once. By Attila Csihar on the best album of all time the Mayhem classic De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas (1994).

I highly recommend buying the phenomenal Marduk DVD Blood Puke Salvation (2006). It was also was recorded during the tour for the Plague Angel album mostly during December of 2004.

And as always Praise Hail Marduk!

MAYHEM - LIVE IN LEIPZIG (1993)

On a digipack CD released on the Italian label Avantgarde Music from 1996.

This was actually the first official Black Metal live album that I ever bought in the 90’s. Remember mailordering this and Transilvanian Hunger (1994) by Darkthrone from either TPL or Dolores (clearly remember it wasn't Sound Pollution) because neither of those CD's were to be be found in my hometown at the time. Like most all other Avantgarde Music releases, so when it arrived it was a great package that's for sure.

It would also be the first time that I ever heard the legendary Dead on vocals with Mayhem. So my expectations were astronomical high on the Live In Leipzig album and especially on the vocals. This was recorded on the 26th of November in 1990 at the Eiskeller Club located in Leipzig, Germany.

Some might not like the sound quality but I had been hardened by a bunch of bootleg VHS-tapes with live recordings of Dissection, Emperor, Marduk, Dismember etc.

However the first couple of listens it actually didn’t blow me away. Sure it was great to hear songs I hadn’t heard before like the amazing Deathcrush, Carnage, Chainsaw Gutsfuck, Pure Fucking Armageddon and Necrolust etc because I didn't own a version of the Deathcrush (1987) EP back then. But soon I realized just how amazing this record was and the brilliant vocals by Dead.

I of course owned De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas (1994) and Attila Csihar’s performance on that record was so divided in the scene all throughout the 90’s by fans, musicians & journalists. It was almost like you had to make a choice back then.

Although Dead’s vocals were amazing the performance by Attila on De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas was (and is still) the best vocal performance I ever heard on any record.

This isn’t a Dead vs Attila post and I’m not putting down Dead. His contribution on Live In Leipzig is in fact astonishing and Dead’s impact on the scene have been well established. I mean how many releases with Mayhem live and rehearsals recordings is out by now? They wouldn't exist if it weren't an interest for the classic lineup with Dead, Euronymous, Necrobutcher and Hellhammer.

This live recording had been spread around in the scene as early as 1991. The first official release of Live In Leipzig was actually only available on LP in 1993 released on the Italian label Obscure Plasma Records that became Avantgarde Music. That release also included the only studio work by Mayhem with Dead on vocals Carnage and Freezing Moon. On the spine it was written “... The scene was DEAD...the scene is dead...”.

It was released on CD in 1994 in 3 different versions but without the studio versions of Carnage and Freezing Moon. I really like my digipack but any of those releases are on my wanted list especially the vinyl. I’m by no means an expert on Mayhem bootlegs and all their releases except for the most known ones. But I could see those CD's and also the LP  being very common for being fake ones. Or am I wrong?

Anyway this classic release is a most own album to have in any serious Black Metal collection in my opinion.