Review by Ben for Marduk - Those of the Unlight (1993)

Before Marduk became a hyper-fast, relentless, battering machine, they produced a more melodic form of black metal in the vein of countrymates Dissection. Those of the Unlight is the only album (with the possible exception of Opus Nocturne) by the band where this comparison can be made and I have to say that it stands out in their discography for having the most creativity, with later albums falling into strong yet repetitive patterns. Those of the Unlight focuses on atmospheric, melodic riffs while still containing blast beats and vicious black metal vocals. It throws several curve balls over the 37 minutes running time and is entirely successful at what it does. Other things to note are that the bass is audible and an instrumental part of the album, which can't be said for a lot of their other albums, plus the leads are surprisingly ok.

Even though I obviously like it a lot, I'm certainly not suggesting that Those of the Unlight is Marduk's best album. The band would go on to produce some cracking releases in the next few years that while not being particularly creative, would be thoroughly absorbing for their intensity and brutality alone. But Those of the Unlight deserves attention by even those that don't enjoy the more recent output. Tracks such as the awesome title track, Wolves, On Darkened Wings and the surprisingly beautiful ambient instrumental Echoes from the Past offer masses of entertainment for any black metal fan and it's a great starting point for anyone new to the band. Check it out!