MARDUK : Memento Mori Europa Part III live report Budapest A38 (+Irae + Doodswens)

In February Marduk embarked on the Memento Mori Europa Part III tour, in support of their latest release “Memento Mori“. On the 18th of Feb they stopped in Budapest on the A38 Ship, so this show was definitely not to be missed. Organized by Planetnoir Industries, the show promised to be a very special one, considering that Marduk announced their set list will consist only of songs from 3 albums, “Plague Angel“, “Rom 5:12” and “Memento Mori” respectively. What a treat!!

Besides the headliner, 3 more bands were added to the same bill, Sumus Diabolus Incarnatus (Fra), Irae (Por) and Doodswens (NL), the latter having already played in Budapest together with Marduk in 2021.

I arrived at the venue exactly when the French S.D.I were about to end their performance, so I cannot say anything about their show. Judging from what I listened to a couple of days before, their music style was not exactly my cup of tea, so I don’t think I missed much. After a quick but very successful stop at the merch stand I moved towards the front of the stage to see Irae at work.

I also want to mention that to my surprise the prices for the merch on display (and it was a lot to choose from, believe me) were quite decent compared to what I have imagined, considering the current situation the whole world goes through. 35 Eur for a quality LS (luckily not on the shitty Gildan label), 25 Eur for a TS or 5 eur for a cool patch is quite decent in my opinion, especially when we’re talking about a b(r)and like Marduk who sells quite well.

But let’s get back to our goats. Irae is one the most enduring Portuguese black metal bands, starting in the early 2000s and having released so far 5 full lengths and a plethora of split albums (19, to be more exact). Their latest material, the “Promiscuous Fire” EP, came out on the 24th of January AB, so this was the best opportunity to support it during this European tour. During the years, I’ve come across Irae‘s music multiple times but somehow it did not appeal to me that much. But last night they were definitely one of the best discoveries and I really enjoyed their intense performance. As weird as it sounds, I have to admit that on stage they are even better than on disc/tape/etc.

Their music is strongly rooted in the 1st wave of traditional black metal and there’s a lot of heavy metal hidden in those riffs as well, not just mindless blast beats. Everything sounded very well, with an old school vibe (Nekroslave the drummer came right from the 80s) and the chemistry between the 3 band members was quite obvious. Even if on a tight schedule due to the tour rules, Irae delivered a fast and energetic set (I recognized some tracks like “Nightshade“, “A Blaze in the Mist” or “Porco de Satanas” from the above mentioned EP) and I would love to see them again in a different situation (maybe headliners in a smaller club, why not?).

After the mandatory change over, Doodswens were ready to take the stage. As I mentioned before they have already played in Budapest before, supporting Marduk as well as Gorgoroth on their European Tour in 2023. For me this was the first time seeing them, so I was very curious about how it will be. I was already acquainted with their music but I wanted to experience it live, from the front. And I was not disappointed at all.

Only the drummer Inge has remained from the initial incarnation of the band, and since the departure of Fraukje, she is now in charge of the vocals as well, which is no small feat for sure. While the rest of the band members were busy arranging their instruments, Inge started to set up the small altar the band uses on stage. It was interesting to watch her pay such a close attention to details when arranging the ritualistic items on the improvised altar, you could tell she was going through an intense religious moment. Once everything in place and the creepy Intro was over, the band attacked the audience with the first track of the night, “Driven By Death” (a new one which I did not hear before), and I was instantly amazed by Inge‘s drumming and vocal skills.

To be honest I don’t know what exactly goes on in the Netherlands, but this country has recently spawned 2 amazing female black metal drummers, Asagraum‘s A.Morthemer and Doodswens‘s Inge van der Zon. Her vocals are haunting and sorrowful at the same time, just perfect for Doodswens music and live they get a whole new dimension.

The band played its black metal without any sort of interaction with the audience, so the whole performance felt as an entire long song, briefly interrupted for a very short tunning break. Like Irae, Doodswens music is better experienced in a live setting, as it conveys just the perfect darkness one needs to drown into. Besides tracks from the Demo and the 1st album, the band also played for the first time some new songs which will be featured on their upcoming sophomore album.

DOODSWENS Set List Budapest A38:

1.Inro

2.Driven By Death

3.In Mijn Bloed

4.Het Wartewaterland

5.Dark and Dangerous

6.Demo I

7.She Carries the Curse

8.Devils Stone

9.Vlaamse Vloek

10.Outro

Once Doodswens ritual was over, an eerie religious music lingered in the speakers, anticipating what was to come. After a short sound check, at 21.15 sharp, the first tunes of “The Levelling Dust” invaded the packed hall of A38. Drowned in thick smoke, one by one band members entered the stage and the onslaught began. The crowd in front of the stage, quite restrained until that moment, errupted suddenly in a violent mosh pit swallowing everyone near it. On stage, Mortuus and Co were delivering the goods only as they know how, in a cold, impersonal but extremely precise way. The Satanic war machine that is Marduk never disappoints and last night was no exception. Mortuus showed us again why he is one of the best black metal vocalists out there, his stance and vocals well fitting his reputation. Simon Wizén is the perfect choice for Marduk, his skills being put to good use on all the tracks. On “Cold Mouth Prayer” he assisted Mortuus on second vocals, their screams combined giving the song an even more dangerous and infernal aura.

The fifth track of the evening was a live premiere (at least for Budapest), as the band played for the first time “Marching Bones“, the 7th track from “Memento Mori“. I absolutely loved it and was pleasantly surprised that they played it, along “Blood of the Funeral” and the fantastic “Shovel Beats Sceptre“. There were some awkward moments all along the show when a visible nervous and irritated Mortuus asked their stage manager to kick the phones from those who were holding them right in front of him. Probably some years ago he would have done it himself in a more brutal manner, but somehow last night he restrained himself, so the guys in the audience must consider themselves lucky.

Watching Marduk live again after 7 years felt incredible, I cannot stress enough how good this band is, despite its long activity. The older they get the better they become and it’s incredible how relevant Marduk is since Mortuus joined in 2004. He basically transformed them from a generic black metal band into an almost religious congregation, pretty much ressembling his own (musical) style and appearance.

Last night’s set list was completed with songs like “Steel Inferno“, “Throne of Rats“, “Womb of Perishableness” or “Perish in Flames” amongst others. I would have loved to hear “Imago Mortis” as well, one of my favorite Marduk tracks from the excellent “Rom 5:12” album, but they did not play it this time. Instead, as an encore, they returned and played (quite surprisingly) “The Blonde Beast“, the mid tempo track from the 2015 “Frontschwein“. After this song the band quit the stage for good, but the echoes of its performance still ring in my head even now, 24 hours later (literally, as I was too close to the speakers). Great performance from a great band, looking forward to seeing them again.

Drawing the line, this has been a great black metal regalia, with quality bands and absolutely no fillers, as it sometimes happens on tours like this. I am very happy I got to witness live for the first time 2 very interesting bands and I had again the confirmation that Marduk remains one of the most serious and dedicated bands in the current black metal scene.