Album Details

• Artist: Marduk
• EP:
Iron Dawn
• Label: Regain
• Year of Release: 2011
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: patchen on 2011-06-10

The relentless "Warschau 2: Headhunter Halfmoon" kicks things off in a way totally needed in a three song EP. With so little time to work with, a band needs to grab you quick, or fall into suspicion that they can't even judge which songs are their strongest to highlight in an EP. Marduk dive right in on "Iron Dawn," and do not let go. There is very little fat here, and plenty of blazing buzzsaw guitars, which are often overpowering.

Good thing, since the vocals are more often than not are typical, not great, metal vocals, and there are some cheesy battlefield sound effects in the back of the mix. Marduk know that their money is made through icy, pulverizing riffs and teeth-spanking drums. "Drumbeats of Death" follows "Warshau2" into the maelstrom of that signature sound and while the closer, "Blood and Sunflowers," offers more progressive interludes than the others, it too is solid and built on that hardcore foundation.

"Iron Dawn" is for sale on the band's current North American tour, and a full-length is to follow. Marduk have done it right: give the people something to chew on while waiting for the next release, and deliver the best they have to offer at the moment to boot.

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