They hoped that the third trial could stop me… they thought I would give up in front of the “sweaty papers”… but no! Brutal Death will follow me to Hell, I won't fall alone!
Excuse my pre-review delirium, now I'll become a normal person again, at least as much as I can. Here I am to review a work that I had overlooked at the time of my previous review of Martyr: in fact, I considered that “Warp Zone”, from 2001, was clearly superior to this CD with which they debuted back in 1997. However, my passion for this Canadian group, reignited by listening to the aforementioned masterpiece, led me to rediscover their only other studio work (the third chapter of this band is indeed a live). The fact is that, although this work is hindered by a certainly less professional production and a more spontaneous and less experienced approach by the members, it remains an exceptional album, an example of how extremely different musical genres can go hand in hand.
To be fair, compared to their other LP, the jazz influences are much less noticeable; indeed, they are barely hinted at here and there; while typical structures of that genre are already present from a compositional point of view, at an exclusively sonic level they are much less felt, favoring mixtures with progressive. Indeed, our guys seem to have a certain interest in blending Technical Death à la Gorguts with Progressive Death of Atheist or Cynic inspiration: what results is an extremely multifaceted product that leaves one flabbergasted at first listen. Hearing a growling, even slightly softened compared to other bands of the genre, versifying over a sound carpet that ranges from the most uncompromising metal to the technical prowess typical of the more avant-garde, indeed leaves one somewhat baffled regarding the band's intentions.
These will become clearer only after reaching the end of the work, when one can answer that its only intent is to create high-quality and technically proficient music without becoming a sterile doctrinal display. The songs become more engaging as the listens progress, not only for their strong charge but also thanks to the musical games these four “doctors” of music manage to set up. Once again, it is the singer-guitarist, a former member of fellow Canadian Cryptopsy (I avoid gushing various praises here) who stands out from his other companions; he instrumentalizes an exaggerated instrumental expertise, ranging from the intricate riffing of Brutal Death to solos à la Chuck Schuldiner, the skilled (in both senses) colleague of the legendary Death. Blessed with considerable talents, the singer manages to put his heart into writing as well, thus revealing himself to be a well-rounded musician and not just a laborer. I point out that his prowess will have the opportunity to improve over the years, so much so that in the subsequent work he is seen easily maneuvering even techniques related to genres very different from Death Metal.
In general, all members of Martyr carry out a marvelous work: the drummer is truly one of the most creative I have ever heard, perhaps the only one who already then showed he had a jazz training background: you can hear it in the countertimes, in the total (or almost) absence of a regular rhythm and in the ability to maintain these characteristics even as the speed increases. However, he does not disdain less complex solutions and indulges in more typically metal parts of undeniable strength. The work done by the bassist is also excellent, finally audible in an extreme metal record and undoubtedly very skilled. It's difficult to find just one song to set as a model since all have their own soul that cannot be synthesized into just one: perhaps, however, “Prototype” is the most captivating for its unpredictable weave. As said for “Warp Zone”, I cannot advocate for the mood of this album because it would mean advocating for lost causes: the atmosphere is in fact very weak if not absent, one of the few cases where the Id is crushed by the Superego (forgive the Freudian references, it seems the shrink is infecting me).
But what matters is the refinement of this music, the lucid fanaticism with which it is played and composed; songs so cleverly structured that they can simultaneously follow a coherent “melodic” line represent a true rarity within extreme metal, suited for a bit of outsider metalheads or progressive music veterans who do not disdain harder sounds.
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