Review by Michael on December 14, 2025.

If there is an actual acoustic equivalent of a demolition hammer it must be named Phantom Corporation. Were the five guys from Germany, already quite brutal on their debut album "Fallout", have notched up their performance on "Time And Tide". They don't take any prisoners here but start directly to lay everything in ruins.

Vocalist Leif Jensen sounds like a rabid maniac performing his brutal screams ("To The Hilt" offers such an insane performance!) and the rest of the band seems to be on a very high dose of speed too. The 42 minutes of their second album have no second where the music is slower than 180 bpm (okay, that is a starry-eyed estimation by myself) but the tempo they are performing their eleven songs is really breathtaking.

Playing a dirty and uncompromising mixture of grind, crust, punk and thrash "Time And Tide" is a late 25 banquet for every metal lunatic who is into these genres. In the tracks you can find a lot of Slayer-vibes, and for example in tracks like "Sorcerer" or "Pound Of Flesh" a lot of these casual Napalm Death grooves. But mainly good old fucking Nasum might be one of the main inspirations this time. First of all when it comes to the vocals (or maybe At The Gates?) but also this rapid, ferocious grind-crust is quite similar to the Swedes. The title track even shows some black metal influences, just check the main riff and don't tell me that it isn't influenced by "On Darkened Wings" by Marduk.

You can clearly hear that the guys are very pissed off with everything and they also show that in their lyrics. Titles like "Western Apocalypse" just scream full of social criticism and if you see the state of the world, this is more necessary than ever in the last decades. But not everything on that album is political, "Krokodil" for example deals with that same-named drug (and isn't a Master's Hammer cover song). Most of the tracks were written by their guitarists Arne and Philipp but this time also Ulf (bass) contributed some lyrics.

But not only the music is well-executed, also the cover artwork has turned out very cool. Last time they had more sci-fi themed artwork, now it is darker and kind of mysterious. One could even say that it could be the artwork of a black metal band. And last but not least the production has become very good once again. Like on their debut they worked with Jörg Uken at his Soundlodge Studios. I guess most of you who are stuck a little bit deeper in the scene know about him and his mysterious powers. As always Jörg has delivered a fantastic job, the album has a crunchy and full sound and so, the album really kicks ass. Time and tide are right for Phantom Corporation!

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Review by Felix on June 1, 2019.

Marduk have released tons of outstanding songs like "Blooddawn", "The Hangman of Prague" or "Souls for Belial". The EP from 2000 does not hold such a killer and I am not quite sure whether or not it was necessary to publish these three songs as a separate product with an average, comparatively dull sound. Honestly speaking, I don't think so. Of course, quality beats quantity, but a little bit more quantity would have been fine. But regardless of the ridiculous playtime, I don't want to say that the material sucks. Only the cover version of Celtic Frost's "Into the Crypt of Rays" remains pretty unexplainable, because the Swedes do not give the song a Mardukian note. It therefore is just what it always has been, a good song from a legendary band, but - in my humble opinion - no essential classic.

The two exclusive tracks show different facets of the formation. The very aggressive, straight and predatory "Obedience" is based on the conservative verse-chorus-verse pattern and could have been the ninth number on Panzer Division Marduk, if we leave the lyrics out of consideration. No tanks are rolling - Legion sings about bondage in a very lame way. Okay, the text is in line with the artwork, but this alone is no crucial quality feature. Anyhow, "Obedience" constitutes another frontal assault and a good song from a legendary band, but - in my humble opinion - no essential classic.

Finally, "Funeral Bitch" presents slow-moving lines and a relatively catchy chorus, but its oppressive character does not fully come into its own. It delivers a contrast to the high-speed attacks of the previous album, but unfortunately, it is not on an equal footing with the songs of their record from 1999. However, I don't want to be too harsh and therefore I say that it is a good song from a legendary band, but - in my humble opinion - no essential classic. (I don't know why, but I have the feeling that I am a little bit repetitive today... however, I guess this must be a wrong perception.)

And, yes, that's all. Less than twelve minutes of decent black metal without any extraordinary characteristics. Take it or leave it, you cannot do much wrong. The real highlights of Marduk's catalogue are hidden somewhere else, just think of "Autumnal Reaper", "Of Hell's Fire", "Narva" and many, many more.

Rating: 7.2 out of 10

Review by Felix on June 1, 2019.

Marduk have released tons of outstanding songs like "Blooddawn", "The Hangman of Prague" or "Souls for Belial". The EP from 2000 does not hold such a killer and I am not quite sure whether or not it was necessary to publish these three songs as a separate product with an average, comparatively dull sound. Honestly speaking, I don't think so. Of course, quality beats quantity, but a little bit more quantity would have been fine. But regardless of the ridiculous playtime, I don't want to say that the material sucks. Only the cover version of Celtic Frost's "Into the Crypt of Rays" remains pretty unexplainable, because the Swedes do not give the song a Mardukian note. It therefore is just what it always has been, a good song from a legendary band, but - in my humble opinion - no essential classic.

The two exclusive tracks show different facets of the formation. The very aggressive, straight and predatory "Obedience" is based on the conservative verse-chorus-verse pattern and could have been the ninth number on Panzer Division Marduk, if we leave the lyrics out of consideration. No tanks are rolling - Legion sings about bondage in a very lame way. Okay, the text is in line with the artwork, but this alone is no crucial quality feature. Anyhow, "Obedience" constitutes another frontal assault and a good song from a legendary band, but - in my humble opinion - no essential classic.

Finally, "Funeral Bitch" presents slow-moving lines and a relatively catchy chorus, but its oppressive character does not fully come into its own. It delivers a contrast to the high-speed attacks of the previous album, but unfortunately, it is not on an equal footing with the songs of their record from 1999. However, I don't want to be too harsh and therefore I say that it is a good song from a legendary band, but - in my humble opinion - no essential classic. (I don't know why, but I have the feeling that I am a little bit repetitive today... however, I guess this must be a wrong perception.)

And, yes, that's all. Less than twelve minutes of decent black metal without any extraordinary characteristics. Take it or leave it, you cannot do much wrong. The real highlights of Marduk's catalogue are hidden somewhere else, just think of "Autumnal Reaper", "Of Hell's Fire", "Narva" and many, many more.

Rating: 7.2 out of 10