World Funeral
Encyclopedia
World Funeral is the eighth studio album
by Swedish black metal
band Marduk
. It was recorded and mixed at The Abyss
between September and November and was released on March 25, 2003 by Regain Records
. The track listing of the album is organized as to create a dynamic change of paces and atmospheres, the tracks generally alternating between a fast, slow, fast, etc. pattern.
Balancing fast tracks with mid-paced tracks, it was a disappointment for fans expecting another head-to-toe fast album a la Panzer Division Marduk
. Many fans suggested the band was going for a more commercial "mainstream
" approach while others complimented their attempt to broaden their sound. World Funeral is the first Marduk album to feature Emil Draguntinovic on drums, the last to feature Legion on vocals and B. War on bass, and the last to feature mixing by Peter Tägtgren
.
Guest
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by Swedish black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
band Marduk
Marduk (band)
Marduk is a black metal band from Norrköping, Sweden. The band formed in 1990 and released their first record in 1991. Their name is derived from the Babylonian god Marduk, patron deity of Babylon.-Musical style:...
. It was recorded and mixed at The Abyss
The Abyss (recording studio)
The Abyss is a recording studio in Pärlby outside Ludvika, Sweden. It is owned and operated by record producer and musician Peter Tägtgren.-Recordings:...
between September and November and was released on March 25, 2003 by Regain Records
Regain Records
Regain Records is a Swedish based independent record label. The label predominantly releases death metal and black metal albums. Regain Records was founded from what remained of the former label, Wrong Again Records, by Per Gyllenbäck in 1997...
. The track listing of the album is organized as to create a dynamic change of paces and atmospheres, the tracks generally alternating between a fast, slow, fast, etc. pattern.
Balancing fast tracks with mid-paced tracks, it was a disappointment for fans expecting another head-to-toe fast album a la Panzer Division Marduk
Panzer Division Marduk
Panzer Division Marduk is the sixth studio album by Swedish black metal band Marduk. It was recorded and mixed at The Abyss in January 1999 and released in June 1999 by Osmose Productions...
. Many fans suggested the band was going for a more commercial "mainstream
Mainstream
Mainstream is, generally, the common current thought of the majority. However, the mainstream is far from cohesive; rather the concept is often considered a cultural construct....
" approach while others complimented their attempt to broaden their sound. World Funeral is the first Marduk album to feature Emil Draguntinovic on drums, the last to feature Legion on vocals and B. War on bass, and the last to feature mixing by Peter Tägtgren
Peter Tägtgren
Alf Peter Tägtgren is a Swedish musician and producer. He is the founder, main songwriter, lead vocalist, and guitarist of the death metal band Hypocrisy as well as the industrial metal band PAIN in which he is the only member....
.
Track listing
Trivia
- "Blackcrowned" is a heavy version of "Title Music from A Clockwork Orange" by the English synthesizer composer Wendy CarlosWendy CarlosWendy Carlos is an American composer and electronic musician. Carlos first came to notice in the late 1960s with recordings made on the Moog synthesizer, then a relatively new and unknown instrument; most notable were LPs of synthesized Bach and the soundtrack for Stanley Kubrick's film A...
, which itself was a reworking of "Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary" by English Baroque composer Henry PurcellHenry PurcellHenry Purcell – 21 November 1695), was an English organist and Baroque composer of secular and sacred music. Although Purcell incorporated Italian and French stylistic elements into his compositions, his legacy was a uniquely English form of Baroque music...
. Some claim the band used a pre-recorded track of the music and just overdubbed the guitars. - Drummer Emil Dragutinovic revealed through interviews World Funeral was the most fun album he ever worked on with any band. Dragutinovic would later show distaste for Marduk after vocalist Legion left the band, due to an inability to get along with the replacing vocalist, Mortuus.
- In an interview for the Brazilian rock-oriented magazine Roadie Crew, guitarist Morgan Steinmeyer Håkansson said the outro concludes the idea of the album, as being a funeral song for the world itself.
- Several old cult horror movies were allegedly used as the basis for the song "Hearse" in which Marduk's most famous video was made for.
- The intro of "With Satan and Victorious Weapons" is taken from the movie 1986 mystery filmMystery filmMystery film is a sub-genre of the more general category of crime film and at times the thriller genre. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of a crime by means of clues, investigation, and clever deduction.The...
The Name of the RoseThe Name of the Rose (film)The Name of the Rose is a 1986 film directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, based on the book of the same name by Umberto Eco. Sean Connery is the Franciscan friar William of Baskerville and Christian Slater is his apprentice Adso of Melk, who are called upon to solve a deadly mystery in a medieval...
. - The last lines of lyrics in "Blessed Unholy" are taken from a part in the 1990 horror filmHorror filmHorror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
The Exorcist IIIThe Exorcist IIIThe Exorcist III is a 1990 American supernatural thriller written and directed by William Peter Blatty. It is the second sequel of The Exorcist series and a film adaptation of Blatty's novel, Legion . The film stars George C. Scott, Brad Dourif, Ed Flanders, and Nicol Williamson...
. - The mid-paced track "Castrum Doloris" is a heavy version of Fredman's Epistle No. 81, Märk hur vår skugga by the Swedish 18th century poet and composer Carl Michael BellmanCarl Michael Bellmanwas a Swedish poet and composer. Bellman is a central figure in the Swedish song tradition and remains a very important influence in Swedish music, as well as in Scandinavian literature in general, to this day....
. Apparently, the lyrics of "Castrum Doloris" is an English version of the original poem by Bellman.
Personnel
Marduk- Legion – vocals, guitar solos
- Morgan Steinmeyer Håkansson – lead guitars
- B. War – bass
- Emil Dragutinovic – drums
Guest
- Peter TägtgrenPeter TägtgrenAlf Peter Tägtgren is a Swedish musician and producer. He is the founder, main songwriter, lead vocalist, and guitarist of the death metal band Hypocrisy as well as the industrial metal band PAIN in which he is the only member....
– mixing