Opus Nocturne Explained

Opus Nocturne
Type:studio
Artist:Marduk
Cover:Marduk - Opus Nocturne.jpg
Recorded:September 1994 at Hellspawn Studios
Genre:Black metal
Label:Osmose Productions
Producer:Marduk
Prev Title:Those of the Unlight
Prev Year:1993
Next Title:Heaven Shall Burn... When We Are Gathered
Next Year:1996

Opus Nocturne is the third studio album by Swedish black metal band Marduk. It was recorded and mixed at Hellspawn Studios in September 1994 and released on 4 December 1994 by Osmose Productions. In 2004 the album was remastered by the band's former member Devo Andersson and re-released on 27 June 2006 by Regain Records as a digipak that included bonus rehearsal tracks. Opus Nocturne is the last Marduk album to feature Joakim Göthberg on vocals and Dan Swanö as mixer.

Opus Nocturne was the first album to showcase Marduk's signature hyper-speed blast beat tempo; however it still contained much of the melody from Those of the Unlight while retaining this break-neck speed, instead of sheer brutality on albums like Heaven Shall Burn... When We Are Gathered and Nightwing.

"Materialized in Stone" was originally the title for the track "From the Dark Past" that appears on Mayhem's De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas. The title was changed by Per Yngve Ohlin before his death. Marduk later adopted the title for the song on this album. They had previously also used a song title by Ohlin on their album Those of the Unlight. This is considered a vague tribute to Per and his works.

Personnel

Marduk

Additional personnel