Martyr
Feeding The Abscess

It's difficult to stand out in the vast metal landscape today, especially in the realm of so-called technical metal. Some bands succeed with their first album, albeit with limited chances of repeating those heights, while others need to persevere but eventually produce works of elevated artistic stature.

The latter case fully reflects the path of Martyr, a Canadian combo active for about two decades, reaching this point with three releases to their credit and a live album from 2001. "Feeding the Abscess": The new sonic frontier? A further evolution of Techno-death? Mongrain as the new prince of technical death? With shameless arrogance, then, I will venture to answer these questions.

The album in question is, to be precise, the third studio effort from the Canadians (the so-called maturity test?) dated 2006. The ideas that were hinted at in the previous platter "Warp-zone" have been perfectly developed and completed, to create an exceedingly personal sonic mix, deriving, in my opinion, from the various influences absorbed over the past six years. "Liquid" sounds and rhythmic explosions from the Meshuggah and Spiral Architect school meet Mongrain's mature and unique solo work, in my opinion, one of today’s best six-string acrobats. A bass always present, with a warm and full-bodied sound, almost evoking Cynic and Fusion in general, completes everything, consecrating Martyr (alongside Coprofago, Jarzombek, and some other unidentified entities) as the best contemporary composers.

Have they fed the abscess? Affirmative!