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Is Montana a new breeding ground for extreme metal? If The
Unsettling Dark from the rising black/death metal band
Martriden is any indication, then it very well could be.
This is the band's first full-length release following a self-titled
EP in 2006. To sum things up, Martriden takes a cue from death
metal standouts such as Opeth, Morbid Angel and Carcass, and
elevates the extremity with influences from black metal bands
such as Emperor and Behemoth. A similar comparison also can be
made to Necrophobic. The Unsettling Dark is on a
grand scale, featuring walls of guitars and rhythms, a brutal
vocal attack courtesy of Michael Cook and lengthly melodic
passages. The legendary Emperor handpicked Martriden to open
their final shows in the United States. One listen and it's
evident that extreme metal has been waiting for a new band
like this for some time. A new heir to a throne perhaps?
Immediately we begin to twist and turn with the blasting rhythm
of “The Enigma of Fate” and “The Calling,”
climaxing with the heart of the album: “The Ascension
Part 1” and “The Ascension Part 2.” "Part
1" is the heir-apparent to any track from Carcass's classic
Heartwork album. It features an awesome guitar attack
and the song has an evil, almost sarcastic tone. "Part
2" is a monumental instrumental piece, beginning with
acoustic guitars and ending in a triumphant score familiar
with the black metal elite. This is the soundtrack to bloody,
fiery battlefields and legions of armor-clad warriors fighting
to the death. The title track churns out some of the release's
best grooves and has lyrics telling tales of death and destruction.
Trust me, the rest of the album follows suit. “Immaculate
Perception” closes out in instrumental fashion with
beautiful acoustic guitar work.
Martriden is furious yet beautiful, extreme yet dynamic,
and The Unsettling Dark is a phenomenal album. Above
all, they have a sense of purpose, unlike the droves of bands
we are seeing today making incomprehensible noise. They have
set a high bar for themselves with their first full-length
album and are already on the same level as many long running
black and death metal bands. For fans of extreme metal, this
is one not to be missed.
®2008 Live-Metal.net
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