Swedish rock’n’roll trio MÄRVEL invites you into Sanctemonium, a Halloween-themed EP packed with masked men, bad intentions, and a soundtrack for the darkest night of the year. Featuring two familiar horrors from Märvel’s back catalogue, two carefully chosen covers, and the band’s first-ever song in Swedish, Sanctemonium brings together five tales of monsters, evil, and things that go bump in the night.
The EP opens with Alice Cooper’s ’80s classic “He’s Back - The Man Behind The Mask.” With three masked men taking on a song about a masked man, the casting practically writes itself. Special guest Olle Hedenström (Dead Lord, Kongh) joins The King on lead guitar, making this particular Halloween reunion (Olle played the main role in Märvel’sDanish Rush video) even more fitting. They changed the original song into one of theirs. Just listen to the original. Enjoy the guitars on fire, the cool vocals and yes you won’t miss the left out synth sound from the 80’s. Great work on this classic track!
Making its debut as Märvel’s first song in Swedish, “Alla Helgons Blodiga Natt” brings a distinctly local touch to the festivities. The title translates to “The Bloody Night of All Saints,” and the song marks a new chapter in the band’s own musical language. Or how language doesn’t matter when you rock the way they do!
Märvel then takes on The Poppy Family’s “Where Evil Grows,” adding another unsettling piece to the collection. The song features Maria Bergström (The Pusjkins) on duet vocals, adding emotion with her powerful voice.
Completing the lineup are two previously released Märvel originals: “A Beautiful Corpse,” taken from the latest album Brain Drain Diaries, a nice and very typical Märvel song.
Last one is “Slasher With a Broken Heart,” originally featured on Graces Came With Malice. It’s a sweet one, Valentine in reverse. I adore the lyrics and find them almost funny. The guitar play is simply succulent.
Whether you’re heading out in costume or simply looking for something suitably sinister to soundtrack the season, Sanctemonium provides five perfectly good reasons to keep the lights on. This EP also demonstrates why you should keep track on this guys if you love rock with a dark edge. They delivered once again great work!
MÄRVEL IS:
The King – Vocals & Guitar
The Vicar – Drums
The Burgher – Bass
Sanctemonium is released on Leather Lake Records.
He’s Back (The Man Behind The Mask) is also released as an individual single 16/10 as well as part of The Haunted Jukebox LP.
