Review MARTYR “Dark Believer”

Almost ten years ago to the day, Martyr appeared on my metal radar. The band performed at Schollenpop 2015 in The Hague, the Netherlands, alongside Distillator (who later became Cryptosis) and thrash veterans Death Angel.

Martyr’s history, however, began much earlier than 2015. Founded in Utrecht, NL in 1982, the band released two albums before disbanding in 1989. Sixteen years later, in 2005, Rick Bouwman and Robert van Haren reactivated the group, and these two men have been the driving force behind Martyr ever since. Since their return in 2006, the five-piece has released three long players, and now they will drop “Dark Believer” in August 2025.

Martyr’s sixth studio album features nine new songs, beginning with “Darkness Before Dawn”. The song begins acoustically with Robert van Haren singing, before building up slowly to a typical headbanger. Traditional heavy metal and power metal elements come together to create this up-tempo start to the album, which is followed by the title track.

“Dark Believer” is a pulsating metal song, although it took me a while to find my way into this tune. In contrast, “Wrath of the Fallen” unveils its metallic shine quickly. This stomping metal tune is characterised by a well-forged melody line and an anthemic chorus, bringing you to the acoustic beginning of “Cemetery Symphony”. At seven minutes long, the latter is the longest track on the album and shows that Martyr is more than just speed. Listening to this song is like taking a journey back to the ’80s. While listening to “Cemetery Symphony”, I was reminded of bands like Sanctuary and Vicious Rumors, which isn’t a bad sign at all.

“The Weight of Words” is another song with an above-average running time. A chiming bell kicks off this atmospheric metal track, creating a haunting and evocative atmosphere. It is a calmer yet heavy moment on the album, before the aggressive “Venom’s Scent” shifts the focus back to the tempo. The album also contains a pretty good closer called “Legions of the Cross”. It is a strong, powerful finale with screaming guitars, blistering tempo and full commitment.

“Dark Believer” is a traditional heavy metal album comprising nine songs rooted in the sound of the ’80s. Not following any current trends, Martyr follow their musical passion, delivering an album with a denim-and-leather appeal. That’s how I experienced the band in 2015, and that’s what the band maintained throughout the years.