Martyr - _A Malicious Odyssey_
(Black Owl Records, 2004)
by: Aaron McKay (8 out of 10)
Another dip into Martyr's blackened waters, this release represents the second offering from these guys following up the incredible effort on Regimental Records, _To Confirm When Destruction Comes_. Gone largely is the fiery, scorched playing style of their previous effort, replaced with a more feverishly stripped-down approach in favor of speed and purity of form; simply two ways of tackling the same black metal objective. While there are still strong elements of Martyr's musical rhythmic change-ups that accentuate their material perfectly, _To Confirm When Destruction Comes_ exploited this particular feature to a fine art. This is no question that Martyr still harbors a great deal of potential. Under the surface of material laid forth on _A Malicious Odyssey_ waits a whole host of paths less traveled by others on the extreme scene presently.

As mentioned before, Martyr's technique has evolved somewhat, which may be due to the departure of N. Silence -- a central member over the last seven years. This development of their style could be viewed as a maturation of Martyr’s sound. Being a sucker of the more raw aspects of _To Confirm When Destruction Comes_, admittedly it took some time for _A Malicious Odyssey_ to fully take hold upon its arrival. Still a three piece, this outfit continues to enjoy a rich and full sound. "Downfall" drives forth a pounding punishment of choppy riffs without sacrificing any of the harsher, unforgiving expressions of Martyr's zealous sound. Immediately following that track, "Failure of the 4th" embodies what I consider the undercurrent of their technique. Catchy, with an enticing guitar accompaniment winding its way through the onset of the song then dissolving into the basic searing structure before resurfacing toward the end of track's six minutes of wild enmity. Most assuredly a band to consider and monitor with interest.

Contact: http://www.blackowlrecords.com

(article published 12/7/2004)


ALBUMS
3/21/2003 A McKay 8.5 Martyr - To Confirm When Destruction Comes
10/25/2000 B Meloon 10 Martyr - Warp Zone
DEMOS
1/2/1997 A Wasylyk 4 Martyr - Ostrogoth
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