Band:	Marduk
Album:	Those Of The Unlight
Style:	Black metal
Release date:	October 1993

01. Darkness Breeds Immortality
02. Those Of The Unlight
03. Wolves
04. On Darkened Wings
05. Burn My Coffin
06. A Sculpture Of The Night
07. Echoes From The Past
08. Stone Stands Its Silent Vigil

The Nine - Those of the unlight! God I love those lyrics. But that's not why I'm reviewing this 11 year old release. I have often heard people say, that they don't like Marduk cause it's too blasphemous, fast and totally out of control. Some days ago I was at another forum and a guy said, again, that Marduk's just too darn chaotic. Well I think it's all a matter of taste. I personally enjoyed Panzer Division Marduk a lot. I can't judge another person for not liking Marduk's agressive style. But I feel it's my duty to inform the people that not all of Marduk's creation sounds like "Slay the Nazarene" fury at it's worst. Or best, depends on how you like your brutal black metal.

Well, "Those of the Unlight" is different. Much milder, if you will (presuming that by mild I don't mean soft-rock or low fat milk), than "World Funeral" for example. It's still fast and heavy as you would expect from Marduk, but the songs are much more melodic, the percussions not as violently random and the tunes much clearer. Trust me, it's pretty hard to get those riffs out of your head once you've gotten into them. Trust me it's a matter of very short time. Trust me... oops, did I just use "trust me" three times in a row? Sorry, I was being repetitive. Which I can't say about this album. If you've listened to "Panzer Division Marduk" you'll know that the entire record is brutal and totally blasphemous. Whereas "Those of the Unlight" drops the pace dramatically at times, especially with the instrumental "Echoes from the past". And I'm talking about undistorted guitars and slow symphonic background. Not among my personal favourites, but still very nice work. Actually that's the only time the speed drop is "dramatic", usually it's all about those adorable slow heavy riffs. All the other tracks are extremely easy to distinguish as well, with each one having a distinctive element making them unique and the entire album a truly interesting, changeful and captivating piece of work. From the howling solo of "Wolves" to the soothing bass of "On Darkened Wings" - it's a collection of memorable songs.

So, if you've been living in a world of illusions which lies on pillars where it's engraved that Marduk's all about speed and then some more, or if you like balance between anger and melody, then behold! Listen to "Those of the Unlight" and discover a classic that simply cannot be ignored. Quite possibly the best Marduk album to date. (The) Nine.