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.

Memento Mori
Marduk Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Come and revel
Jubilate

Come, rejoice in the wedding of decay
In the gospel of the worm
And the promise of the grave
Come and rejoice, come and sing
To the one rightful king

Come and lay bare your breath
For his name is Death

Memento mori

Blood from the nose
From the cross
From the mound
Celebrating
That your one birth-right is a hole in the ground

Memento mori
Memento mori
Memento mori

Seize the pale
Carpe mortem
Dead hue!
Carpe diem
Seize the grave
And now
Carpe fuck you

Mori
Mori

Come, behold
Both hands point to old
Every minute is a viper
Every second is a toad
Every cross, every stone
Is a sure horoscope
Every coffin, every urn
A beacon of hope

Memento mori

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Marduk's song "Memento Mori" convey a dark and morbid message that calls for embracing and celebrating death. The song invites the listener to revel and jubilate in the decay and inevitable end that awaits every living being. It emphasizes the notion that death is the ultimate ruler and the only certainty in life.

The opening lines "Come and revel, Jubilate" set the tone for the song, urging the audience to join in the festivities surrounding death. The lyrics go on to describe death as a wedding, a gospel, and a promise, suggesting that it is something to be embraced and glorified rather than feared or avoided. The repetition of the phrase "Memento mori" throughout the song serves as a reminder of human mortality and the transient nature of existence.

The imagery of blood, crosses, and graves is used to further emphasize the theme of death. These symbols are portrayed as both inevitable and significant, representing the reality of human life being ultimately reduced to a hole in the ground. The lyrics also include phrases like "Carpe mortem" (seize death) and "Memento mori" (remember death), urging the listener to seize the opportunity to confront mortality and acknowledge the fleeting nature of life.

Overall, the lyrics of "Memento Mori" by Marduk paint a grim picture, encouraging the listener to confront and accept death as an integral part of the human experience.

Line by Line Meaning

Come and revel
Join in the celebration

Jubilate
Rejoice

Come, rejoice in the wedding of decay
Find joy in the union of deterioration

In the gospel of the worm
In the teachings of decay and destruction

And the promise of the grave
And the assurance of death

Come and rejoice, come and sing
Come and find joy, express it through song

To the one rightful king
To the ruler of death

Come and lay bare your breath
Offer your breath willingly

For his name is Death
Because Death is his name

Memento mori
Remember death

Blood from the nose
Bleeding from the nose