Time flies when you’re having fun! It feels just like yesterday that I took a voyage to Martyr’s Planet Metalhead, making my way from one show to the next and raging it up with fellow headbangers from all walks of life. It turns out “yesterday” was three years ago now, and Martyr are back with their sixth full length album, Dark Believer. 40 years since the release of their cult classic debut, founding guitarist Rick Bouwman and singer Robert van Haren remain at the forefront. They are joined by bassist Vinnie Wassink and a pair of newcomers in guitarist Jason Schut and drummer Ed van Wijngaarden.
Together, these five have crafted an album that is worlds apart from Planet Metalhead, no pun intended. As the title foreshadows, Dark Believer is Martyr’s darkest and most ambitious album to date, an effort that sees these veterans expand their sonic palette in ways many thought unimaginable or even unfathomable. With all due respect, Martyr is a band who has had a good thing going for ’em going back to their demo days. In other words, as the old saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Alas, here we are confronted with what’s bound to go down as Martyr’s “progressive” album. So how is it? Honestly, damn good!
Despite the loftier ambitions of the songs themselves and the album as a whole, there’s no shortage of old school bangers that adhere to the classic Martyr ethos. Cuts like the opening “Darkness Before Dawn”, “Insidious”, and the title track fuse Priest-flavored traditionalism, face melting speed, and grandiose euro power. It’s Martyr doing what they do best, guided by the ageless vocals of van Haren and sizzling guitar work of Bouwman. 40 years on and these two haven’t lost their firepower whatsoever, both shining brightly even on the outliers.
Examples of said outliers include the Savatage tinged “Cemetery Symphony”, which cleverly balances both heavy and soft passages with class, and the crushing epic doom of “The Weight of Words”. I wasn’t initially sold on the latter, but upon a second and third listen, Martyr definitely gives modern day Candlemass a run for their money. We’ve also got some anthemic Blind Guardian-esque power (“Wrath of the Fallen”) and even a couple unrelenting power-thrashers which showcase Martyr’s violent side (“Venom’s Scent”, “Harvest of Souls”). Is there anything this band can’t do? I think not!
If I was the first to buy a ticket to Planet Metalhead, then consider me a believer in Dark Believer! Martyr have yet again crafted another traditional metal monument, one which remarkably draws from all corners of the metallic spectrum while simultaneously remaining consistent and impactful. Not only does the band do a phenomenal job melding all these elements together, but the songs themselves are certified ass-kickers. No need to sharpen this blade! Martyr still wields the finest of Dutch steel four decades on, and as their debut demo famously proclaimed, If It’s Too Loud, You’re Too Old! Lucky for us, true metal never bends, or ages for that matter!
7 out of 10
Label: RPM ROAR
Genre: Heavy Metal
For fans of: Judas Priest, Metal Church, Cloven Hoof