Marduk brought the steel inferno to Tokyo
Swedish band Marduk showed Japan how extreme metal should be done.
Marduk at Cyclone, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan on 20th November 2025
Marduk has a cult following in Japan. They keep coming back here to perform. Every time they come back, they deliver a breathtaking performance of darkness.
The first of two nights in Tokyo, the setlist was nigh on flawless (although we did not get to hear any songs from 2018’s splendid album “Viktoria”). They played crowd favourites such as “The Blond Beast”, “Panzer Division Marduk”, “Wartheland”, “Marching Bones”, “Those of the Unlight”, “Wolves”, “Steel Inferno” and “The Levelling Dust”. Marduk is, and has always been, at the forefront of the extreme metal scene. They not only have the vision. They have the musicians to deliver a top performance. They also have terrific songs with at times complex structures.
Founded in Norrköping, Sweden, in 1990, Marduk has released 15 full-length studio albums. The most recent being “Memento Mori” in 2023. Named after a Babylonian storm god in Mesopotamian mythology, Marduk the band certainly brings a storm when they perform live. Their music is not for shiny, happy people. It is hard-hitting, heavy, energetic, brutal, aggressive and sinister. The band’s early releases were influenced by death metal. But the band’s sound quickly evolved into their own take on black metal. It is a haunting soundtrack for a bleak world.
Founding guitarist Morgan Steinmeyer Håkansson still leads the band from the front together with long-time lead vocalist Daniel “Mortuus” Rostén. Drummer Simon “Bloodhammer” Schilling and bassist Simon Wizén round off the current touring version of the band. And what a splendid version of the band it is. They are not for the fainthearted. There is no messing about here.
Marduk’s gig was an enjoyable evening for those of the unlight.
