"No keyboards used on this album," the liner notes proudly state, a reference to
Marduk's emphasis on playing brutal, no-frills black metal (as opposed to the more Gothic, theatrical brand practiced by
Cradle of Filth, for example). Every track here, excepting the brief introduction and the slower "Dracul Va Domni Din Nou in Transilvania," is more or less a full-speed, blasting assault with wall-of-sound drums, blurred guitars and shrieking, raspy vocals. That's all well and good, but unfortunately
Marduk don't show the sort of emotional depth needed to make their tirades fully convincing. Compared to more mysterious, yet equally fast and heavy bands such as
Mayhem or
Immortal, they come across as relatively one-dimensional. Then again, "Infernal Eternal" and "Beyond the Grace of God" are both memorable songs, and Fredrik Andersson's drumming is pretty awe-inspiring as far as speed and sheer power go. As a result, fans who don't already have Live in Germania, which includes better versions of three of this CD's songs, may still want to pick this one up. ~ William York