Album Type: Album Type
Date Released:
22/7/2014
Label: Southern Lord
Records
‘Elddop’
CD/DD/LP track listing:
01. Nödkanal
02. En Jobbigt Jävel
03. Synd
04. Mer Skada Än Nytta
05. Prästernas Tid
06. Victoria
07. Tentakler
08. Slav Manual
09. Elddop
10. Skum Pä Väridens Hav
11. Varningens Klockor
12. Steg
13. Martyren
14. Hjärnspoken
15. Under Skinnet
02. En Jobbigt Jävel
03. Synd
04. Mer Skada Än Nytta
05. Prästernas Tid
06. Victoria
07. Tentakler
08. Slav Manual
09. Elddop
10. Skum Pä Väridens Hav
11. Varningens Klockor
12. Steg
13. Martyren
14. Hjärnspoken
15. Under Skinnet
Martyrdöd
is:
Fredrik
Reinedahl | Bass
Jens Bäckelin | D-beat
Mikael Kjellman | Guitar, Vocals
Pontus Redig | Guitar
Jens Bäckelin | D-beat
Mikael Kjellman | Guitar, Vocals
Pontus Redig | Guitar
Review:
Prior
to listening to ‘Elddop’, Sweden’s Martyrdöd were to me just one more metal
band in a sea of those with eldritch names and Scandinavian origins. They fell
by the wayside along with various others that allegedly combined hardcore/crust
punk and metal to critically successful effect. Turns out they do this; the
problem is they do this so damn well that it cannot be ignored.
The
warning signs should have come sooner, being signed to Southern Lord puts
Martyrdöd in the company of The Secret, Nails and Black Breath – all bands at
the vanguard of hardcore infused extreme metal today. Then there’s the whole
Sweden thing, which the discerning metal fan should always get more excited
about than a band coming from, say, Croydon.
At
its core this is a punk band with a punk based sound, yet it is metal in its
execution and metal that ultimately fuels their d-beat assault. The record
sounds thick, dense wall-of-sound bass and guitars forming the core of it, with
drums curiously laying lower in the mix to masterful effect. You won’t listen
to ‘Elddop’ for Mikael Kjellman’s vocals, not because they are bad, but because
they are largely sparsely used and sit buried in the mix, being no more
important than the guitar leads gliding over them or the bass buzzing away
underneath it all. The band work as a unit, the whole surpassing its parts
while each plays his vital role.
Listening
to ‘Elddop’ you quickly realise this is a record of riff worship, not in the
soporific three-note Orange-fuelled doom sense, but in the way you felt when
you first heard Bathory’s ‘Nordland’ or Sabbath’s ‘Children of the Grave’.
Speaking of Bathory’s later work, the lead guitar melodies often have a
folk-esque inflection, that despite coming out of nowhere never seem to be at
odds with the overall sound. The verbose may call it a neo-classical bent, I’m
more inclined to call it cool as fuck and leave it there.
These
guitar parts manage to saturate each song with keen melody throughout. That
some of these guitar leads wouldn’t be amiss on Propagandhi’s ‘Potemkin City
Limits’, while others could have been taken from Wintersun’s debut, speaks
volumes not just on how well written the songs are but how much the band
remains rooted in each genre. Combining this with the incredible production
makes the band accessible from the first listen, drawing you in whilst the more
subtle fruits of the record emerge after repeat spins.
The
sheer energy of it all is a joy to hear, a fiery shot of aural adrenaline borne
of ostentatious crust punk roots laced with heavy metal bombast. In theory this
should be as innocuous as a wild dog robed in ermine, but ultimately comes out
sounding like jubilation itself.
This
is a record of disparities, opposites not just attracting but sounding like
they should never be apart. What Martyrdöd have achieved on ‘Elddop’ is
something forward thinking bands of all walks should aspire to – confidence,
triumph, the skill to bring forward every musical influence they love and turn
it into a cohesive LP of brilliance.
Words by: Jake Mazlum
You
can pick up a copy here
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