Marduk

Constantly waging war with all things good and sacred, Sweden's Marduk back up their blasphemous words with a frightening musical assault. Their chief weapon is drummer Fredrik Andersson, whose relentless blastbeats and leveling fills are often so fast that speed is no longer an issue. Instead, an impenetrable wall of sound remains, one that's augmented by a blurry, distant haze of mid-range guitar riffing and topped off by frontman Legion's scraping, snarling vocals. With a single-minded focus on brutality, they're not exactly the most diverse or well-rounded band (their songwriting, for one, is relatively basic and occasionally uninspiring). Listeners are advised to strap on their sturdiest armor or risk being quickly led into submission.