The art of melodic death metal evolution.
Melodic death metal is an increasingly popular genre with Scandinavian bands such as Dark Tranquillity and In Flames heading up the sound, combining wonderful guitars riffs and structures with all the rage abrasive and hardcore vocals, but with a twist of emphasis on dark and enticing lyrics and letting them influence the sound of the piece. From this branches many different approaches, bands such as Wintersun write music that reflects the rage and violence of a battle field, Dark Tranquillity take influence from ancient civilisations and write wonderfully modal synth backdrops and guitar scales and so on. Now a new band Martriden offers us chilling, epic and delightfully apocalyptic music depicting death, the abyss and the afterlife.
Nothing new then you might think? Well actually yes! This four track E.P displays some of the most intelligently written melodic death metal ever written. Sounding as harsh and bitter as icy cold winter winds, the guitarists, both band member and guest guitarist, offer incredibly fast and skilled gothic riffs, feeding off blindingly fast double bass drums fills and melancholic synthesised backdrops, tempos always shifting and changing between riffs. The ever changing rhythms and raw assault of guitar and drum section keep the music on its toes while the deliciously gothic synth backdrop sets off the real beauty of the lyrics and brings them out of the harshness the metallic riffs, bringing a real essence of an old serenity about the music through two conflicting styles.
'The Blank Eye Stare' begins with incredibly violent, thundering movements on the drums and murderous guitar riffs against sinister choral backdrops. The music then roars straight through into a powerful and bleak sounding chorus, the raging vocals fighting wonderfully against the driving electric riffs before fading away into the eye and a sinister and icy, chilled bridge full of modal scales and hypnotic deathly intrigue.
'The Art of Death Infernal' is the perfect soundtrack for a dance with the devil, raw and vicious from the beginning. Call and response rages between the two guitarists like a battle of the riffs. The rhythm is constant and relentless, the vocals rip on through the piece cutting open the wall of sound like a knife and keep the track as violent and abrasive as ever as it bends beautifully into next track, 'In Death we Burn' which is much the same in sound plus a beautiful gothic piano solo in the midst of a powerful guitar bridge.
'Set a Fire in Our Flesh' has a more romantic and reflective edge to it, beginning as chillingly and frosty as a frozen lake, the slow crooning of the riffs gradually build up, spinning around like a tornado of sound and dancing with the devilish sound of the vocals. The wintry sound at times reflects all the mystery and cold familiarity of an ancient folk song, building from dark and vamprical whispery vocal before exploding into eternally powerful roaring solo that drives on through immense drum and rhythm section.
Martriden have really shown that they deserve to grow and be up there with all the greats of melodic death metal. Their music is well conceived, well written and incredibly layered and rich in concept, a truly amazing and mature metal release.