Gather 'round, thou Black Metal minions. For I bring you tidings of the gospel of "Serpent Sermon", MARDUK's twelfth and arguable most superior release. Even the demons below will tremble at this diabolical force of an album, which stays faithful to the undying command of old-school Black Metal while interlacing this energy with MARDUK's own unique melodic signatures.

Whether a song hits skyrocketing speeds or develops atmospheric grooves, "Serpent Sermon" delivers its message in an effective manner. The hard-hitting "Messianic Pestilence" is an exemplary piece that brings out the inner demon in vocalist Daniel "Mortuus" Rosten, whose reptilian vocals must come from nothing less than an otherworldly energy. Morgan "Evil" Steinmeyer Hakansson's guitar craftsmanship conjures up an electrifying power that is most unbelievable in my favorite track "Souls of Belial". This song also contains what I would like to call the Black Metal interpretation of a breakdown, in which you will savor every melodic guitar chord, experience every isolated beat of Lars Broddesson'sdrumming, and freeze every time you feel Mortuus's growls penetrating your eardrums. The doom-inspired "Temple of Decay" and the meditative, groove-laden finesse of the end track "World of Blades" further exemplify the uniqueness of this album. MARDUK shows no shame in adding a sophisticated signature or two.

Lest we forget, the production abilities of bassist Magnus "Devo" Andersson once again provide a solid base on which the band successfully built this poignant, poisonous piece of Black Metal magic. This album will surely gather a following of the most sinister of Metalheads, and I'm sure as hell that this will become one of the greatest pieces of modern Black Metal to show itself to this mortal world.