Being one of the biggest bands in the genre after 28 years on the black metal scene, blood, death and satanism are frequent themes in Marduk’s productions. This year they toured both Europe and Latin America. But the band's discography is also filled with references to Nazi Germany. The band has released songs named after SS officers and a German Panzer division. In addition, the bands founder and guitarist Morgan Håkansson, runs Marduk’s business through the company "Wolfsschanze", named after the staff site bunker of Adolf Hitler.
When the band toured the United States last year rumors of the band’s Nazi connection led to big protests before the live shows, and a concert in Oakland was cancelled due to fear of unrest. Marduk has stubbornly been arguing for years that their sole interest lies in history itself.
Supported Northern Resistance Movement, NMR
Two members of the band have taken the passion for World War II one step further. On May 16, 2016 the drummer Fredrik Widigs ordered 100 propaganda stickers from the NMR's online store. The orders ip-adress is linked to the city of Pratteln in Switzerland. Marduk played a show in the same city on the date of the order. He also bought the political party manifesto of NMR as well as two other books with nazi and antisemitic content.
BRA JOURNALISTIK ÄR INTE GRATIS
Gillar du det vi gör?
Swisha en peng till: 123 401 876 8
On May 22, 2016 the band's lead singer Daniel Rostén also visited the same online shop. He ordered 100 leaflets with the message: "Swedish people" must reclaim ”power from the global Zionist elite”. In addition the Marduk vocalist ordered books that questions the Holocaust, as well as 100 stickers with similar messages. His order was sent from an ip-adress linked to the singers home adress in Solna, Stockholm.
Appeared in The Nordfront Files
The orders are made in the band members own names and sent to their addresses registered at the Tax Authority. This has been revealed after Dagens ETC’s review of The Nordfront Files which were leaked from the NMR's server after a hacker attack last summer. The online, store run by the organization, is a great source of revenue as well as a major distribution channel for propaganda material. The leaflets and stickers that the Marduk members ordered was for distribution and not collectibles, says Jonathan Leman, researcher at the anti-racist Foundation Expo.
”If you order this kind of material it tends to imply, at a minimum, that you are a sympathizer to the NMR and belong to the organisation's outer circles. But there may be more frequent contacts”, Jonathan Leman says.
A Marduk show was cancelled
After Dagens ETC revealed Marduk’s connection to neo-Nazism the bands concert booked later this April in Stockholm has now been cancelled by the organizer Fryshuset. The band denies all ties to the neo-Nazi organisation.
In a statement Marduk writes:
”No Marduk member has ordered anything from the website in question, or ever had any form of interaction with the organisation operating it. Marduk has no political agendas or ideological associations, National Socialism or otherwise. Our lyrics deal with religion and history, nothing else”
