Marduk is a Swedish black metal band. Marduk's predominant lyrical topics a… Read Full Bio ↴Marduk is a Swedish black metal band. Marduk's predominant lyrical topics are Satanism, anti-Christianity, death and war. The latter is an addition to their lyrical-conceptual themes stemming from their 1999 release Panzer Division Marduk; it quickly grew among their fans' favorites and so far Marduk have released more and more songs relating to that dark but fascinating chapter of human history such as "The Hangman of Prague" (monicker of Prague "Reichsprotektor", and, by the Way, Leader of the "Sicherheitsdienst", Reinhard Heydrich), "Deathmarch" and others.

Marduk was founded in Norrköping, Sweden in 1990 by Morgan Steinmeyer Håkansson. His ultimate goal was to create the most blasphemous and Satanic band ever conceptualized.

In 1991, Marduk released a three song demo entitled "Fuck Me Jesus", which due to its dark and irreverent lyrics was highly received by a cult following.
During 1992, Marduk released their first full-length album "Dark Endless" under the label No Fashion and continued to tour Sweden, augmenting their steadily growing fan base. Marduk switched over to the French label Osmose in 1993 after a dispute with No Fashion. Marduk began to tour throughout the rest of Europe in 1994 and in 1995 had their first gig across the Atlantic in Mexico City. They continued to amass fans and release albums over the next few years, even spearheading the European "Black Metal Assault Tour" in 1998.

In 2000, Marduk founded their own record label, Blooddawn Productions.

In 2004 Marduk released their ninth studio album "Plague Angel" which was a great hit all over Europe and later on in the U.S.A. To celebrate Marduks 15 years anniversary a live album called "Warschau" was released with 17 live tracks from a show in Poland, 2005.

In 2006 a very substantial double DVD, which was called "Blood Puke Salvation", containing 2 concerts professionally filmed in Tilburg (Holland) and Antwerpen (Belgium). Videoclips, photo-gallery, interviews, behind the scenes material and rare handycam footage from the Deathmarch tours of 2004 and 2005.

In 2007, they released their tenth studio album entitled "Rom 5:12".

In 2009, Marduk released another full-length album "Wormwood" recorded at Endarker Studios in Norrköping with engineer/producer Magnus "Devo" Andersson.

In May 2012 their 12th studio album, "Serpent Sermon", was released.

Marduk continues to tour Europe, release albums, and is regularly featured in many prominent Metal music festivals.

Autumnal Reaper
Marduk Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The coldest winds embrace the lands
Awakened from its ancient slumber
By a circle of sleepless eyes

Autumn reaper, dress me in ice
Let my blood freeze in your eyes

Towards a dark sky, monolith points

Created by unknown hands in a darker age
The threes bow for this wind
The cursed that will live on forever

The winds of autumn cold and loud
Dressed in ice, it dies
The life standing as frozen shadows
Under flickering stars

Autumn reaper, dress me in ice
Let my blood freeze in your eyes

Overall Meaning

"Autumnal Reaper" by Marduk is a haunting and seasonal tribute to the cycle of life and death that pervades the natural world. The opening lyrics evoke a sense of desolation and coldness as the coldest winds embrace the lands. These winds are personified as a sleeping entity that is awakened by a circle of sleepless eyes, which could signify the natural phenomenon of animals being alert and active during the onset of winter. The figure of the autumn reaper is then invoked, with the singer asking to be clothed in ice and to have their blood frozen in the reaper's eyes. This could be interpreted as a desire to be accepted by death and to become a part of the natural order of things.

The second verse expands on this theme of nature and its cyclical patterns. A monolith points towards the dark sky, an enigmatic symbol of the past and the unknown. The trees bow for the wind that is cursed and will live on forever, again highlighting the inescapable nature of death and decay. The imagery of frozen shadow and flickering stars paints a picture of a desolate and eerie landscape, conveying a sense of foreboding and existential angst. The repetition of the refrain "Autumn reaper, dress me in ice, let my blood freeze in your eyes" throughout the song acts as a kind of mantra, emphasizing the singer's willingness to embrace the inevitability of winter and death.

Line by Line Meaning

The coldest winds embrace the lands
The freezing winds envelop the earth

Awakened from its ancient slumber
The land wakens from a deep sleep

By a circle of sleepless eyes
Witnessed by vigilant observers

Autumn reaper, dress me in ice
Personifying death as a winter force

Let my blood freeze in your eyes
Accepting fate and longing for a graceful death

Towards a dark sky, monolith points
A solitary, ancient structure reaches towards the sky

Created by unknown hands in a darker age
Crafted in a forgotten era by anonymous hands

The threes bow for this wind
The trees bend before the gusts

The cursed that will live on forever
The ominous wind will persist for all time

The winds of autumn cold and loud
The gusts of fall are frigid and fierce

Dressed in ice, it dies
The frigid wind fades into winter