Review Summary: Marduk lite is still a beer i'd drink.
Rebellion. To strive against the established order of things feels like a noble pursuit and an almost spiritual endeavor. The spirit of rebellion encourages man to oppose the status quo with an almost religious fervor. That quintessential yearning is black metal, and the musical conveyance of these ideals is often simplistic. But the line of simplicity is frequently drawn dangerously close to mediocrity. Rather than wooing the listener with extravagant displays of musicianship, Malleus makes sure anybody can understand the central pillars of their faith: rage and blood-soaked rebellion. The riffs, slow and rhythmic, the screams, shrill and strenuous. If the fastest way between two points is a line, The Fires of Heaven draws a straight line from your eardrum to the ninth circle of hell. Malleus isn't hiding the ball here. They aren't trying to reinvent the genre. They are making angry music during angry times. However, in a genre saturated with bands doing the same, does Malleus do enough to distinguish itself from the pack? Not one bit. I would like to say that this isn't their intention, and perhaps it isn't. Maybe the band just wants to make music that flips that primitive switch in your brain that makes you want to go to war. Unfortunately, there are other albums I'd rather listen to while riding into battle.
