Warthur
Marduk shifted their sound yet again on Opus Nocturne, focusing less on production values and instrumental virtuosity than on Those of the Unlight and instead going for the all-out attack, offering a brutal assault on the senses that doesn't propose to take any prisoners. It doesn't feel like particularly characterful black metal - compositionally speaking, it's fairly typical for the subgenre - but it makes an impact mainly through the forceful performances the band offer up. Almost sounding as though they are competing with each other to see who can play the hardest and angriest, Opus Nocturne is an album which just about passes muster by giving the impression that even if Marduk aren't very original this time around, they are at least passionate about what they do, though it doesn't really bear up to repeated listens.