Spanish independent company Down With The Most High Productions (DWTMH) continue their focus on producing high-end, niche releases across the black, death and thrash metal spectrum. Following last year’s bespoke fine art and premium accessories based on the work of influential Swiss heavy metal band Celtic Frost, they have turned their creative hands towards black metal titans Marduk and the legendary Emperor.
Moving completely away from conventional band merchandise, for Marduk they have issued two individual collections, to serve as a definitive physical celebration of the band’s legacy. There is a Militaria collection that focuses heavily on the military history, battlefield imagery and heraldic themes that have defined the band’s thematic world for over three decades. The collection brings these concepts to life through heavy-duty, bespoke items designed for long-term collectability.
There’s a bespoke decoration medal in the form of a cast iron cross bearing the Marduk wolf pentagram inside a premium collector box, as well as a bespoke ceremonial Marduk Legions military standard banner embroidered on real black velvet with metallic silver, matte red and black threads. A large synthetic leather Marduk Legions back patch packaged with detailed historical liner notes, specialised double-sided T-shirts, a brushed metal effect sticker and a heavy metallic badge button complete what’s been termed an “initial instalment”.
Alongside this, celebrating the 35th anniversary of the band’s infamous 1991 Fuck Me Jesus demo tape, there’s a heavy, hand-moulded die-cast bronze sculpture finished with an aged green patina that brings the demo’s artwork to life. There is also a large textile banner flag and a premium metal badge presented on custom backing cards.
Daniel Dabadan Gayoso, Down With The Most High Productions founder and curator of the collections, said: “It was our intention from the very start that this extreme music memorabilia be made into something more permanent and archival. Having done this with the Celtic Frost series, we decided to take things to another level with Marduk. These pieces are cast in heavy bronze, woven into velvet, and presented with the care usually reserved for historical exhibits because this music deserves a permanent physical legacy.”
Morgan, Marduk‘s guitarist and founder, added: “Marduk has never been a band that was willing to compromise on the weight of our concept or our visual output. This production is the physical manifestation of our approach. These pieces are raw, heavy, and forged with an absolute dedication to detail, making them genuine, tangible pieces of the band’s history and not just some fleeting product. This is for the die-hard maniacs, for the legion!”
The star attraction of the Emperor collection is a life-size Emperor Icon E shield, practically a one-to-one scale suit of armour made using die-cut steel. It has a clear border with the symbol welded to the outermost surface. An authentic historical feel comes from imperfect, engraving-like detailing on the front, where darker colours fill the recesses and polishing highlights the raised areas. The rear is fitted with an arm handle and an adjustable leather strap, and each shield comes with a unique certificate of authenticity signed by all the members of Emperor. Alongside it comes a 60 x 70cm imperial standard banner embroidered in silver-metallic and black onto black velvet, depicting the Emperor coat of arms.
The collection also features high-end jewellery designed in 925 sterling silver, comprising a weighty seal ring and a corresponding pendant decorated with the emblematic shield imagery. The precious metal pieces have a black patinated finish in their engraving and come in luxurious matte-touch packaging with black velvet lining and silver hot-foil stamping. The clothing line includes a large, die-cut coat of arms back patch embroidered in silver metallic thread on high-quality synthetic leather, selected specifically for its longevity. This piece is available in a limited run of just 100 pieces, supplied in large collectable OBI flap packaging with silver hot-foil accented liner notes.
“The production of items for such a legendary band as Emperor was an important task that demanded the use of material in line with the majesty and royalty of their music,” said Gayoso. “Following the examples set in previous collaborations on Celtic Frost and Marduk projects, we decided to make monuments to music that will last forever. The use of forged steel, sterling silver and velvet will allow us to pay due respect to this symbolism.”
Both collections were officially unveiled at the Beyond The Gates Festival in Bergen, Norway. At the Down With The Most High stand, the audience got a unique chance to examine the craftsmanship, the choice of high-quality materials and the detailed packaging. In-person showcases of the bronze sculptures, velvet banners and metal medals let the audience feel the true weight of the collections.
For more at RAMzine on Marduk, Emperor and Celtic Frost.
 continue their focus on producing high-end, niche releases...){kind=link}