Formed in 2019, Mardom are a new force in the always fertile Polish black metal scene. Despite their geography, the duo aren’t strictly “Polish black metal” by definition; a strong foundation in ’90s Scandinavian black metal underscores the grim & melancholic elements of their local tradition. MARDOM are one of those rare new bands who bring the black metal atmosphere of the old days to life in such an authentic and natural way.
MARDOM was initially planned as a project of guitarist Mogomir, but eventually became a band with vocalist Kres and others joining. Since then, the band have released two EPs, 2020’s The Path of No Return and 2022’s Longing for a New Dawn. Those two titles should doubtlessly state what sort of atmosphere Mardom are brewing.
Now, that cauldron boils over with their debut album, Dead Soul Age. Here, MARDOM aesthetically bridge those two short-lengths, combing dynamic sound and aggression with more melancholic and nostalgic themes, and even a touch or two of (blackened) doom. On first blush, Dead Soul Age bears some passing semblance to the ever-thorny “depressive black metal” subgenre; listen further, and that semblance is superficial, for there’s far more energy and enveloping songwriting at work here. While the former pushes the latter forward with an almost understated grace, that songwriting soon shows its full depth: both simplicity and complexity weave into and out of each other, much in the way that the early Scandinavian trailblazers did, but arguably wrapped in a sympathetic production neither too polished nor too raw. Dead Soul Age thus becomes a dream-like journey through themes of emptiness and sorrow, as well as both hatred and love.
True Polish black metal, especially of the underground variety, is nothing if not authentic: you hear it, and you KNOW it. Rarer still is depressive black done right, such as the cult likes of WIGRID, KROHM, and RAATE. You can now add the humble name of MARDOM to those rarefied ranks with the beginning of their Dead Soul Age.