One of the problems happen with brutal black metal bands is the degradation the songwriting seem to have within the genre. Take Marduk, for example. This is a band that, for the most part, has a powerful sound during their career. But now I'm really dissapointed. I know a lot of the underground listenership thinks that Marduk remains now a band from a TRUE BLACK METAL LEGION, but unfortunately "La Grande Danse Macabre" isn't even copy of previous releases.
From time to time rhythm section contains something like Heavy Metal stuff. For what reason? Even the song arrangement is nothing you haven't heard before on other black metal records. I can no longer approach their work with pleasure. When you consider there are probably quite a few more innovative bands in the genre without attempts to get much money using vogue stuff in Metal, "La Grande Danse Macabre" serves simply to annoy. Unfortunately, those who have and like theirs previous releases can go wrong with this disc.

October, 2001
Review by Vetrarnott