I've had a long and conflicted history with these guys. I started listening to them shortly after Nightwing came out and for the longest time thought of them as a pretty typical "norsecore" blast beat driven band.
That began to change when Mortuus entered the band. His vocals gave the band a new dimension that was lacking previously. He has this incredibly gritty and inhuman quality to his voice that is rather unique in the genre.
Upon his arrival the band seemed to go through a revival of sorts. The songs got more interesting and complex, the lyrical themes started to become more diverse as well.
Frontswein sees the band visit WWII themes, and the horrors that happened in that period of history. Out of all the Mortuus albums this one is likely the most blast beat driven (except maybe Viktoria). The riffs call for it though, they are violent and brooding all at once. Anything less than a blast beat would not match their intensity.
Not every song here is a shred fest, The Blonde Beast and Wartheland both slow down the pace to build a desperate atmosphere. The albums true strength is in its faster songs, especially the closer.
Thousand-Fold Death is one of the more impressive vocal performances I've ever heard. Seriously this thing needs to be heard to understand how intense it is. Perfect way to end the album.
Marduk is a band that I still maintain a rather strained relationship with. I don't always like what they release, but when they do hit - they hit hard.
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