Is it weird to call a crust record cleaned up? For the crowd that generally deals in the genre, it’s probably going to seem that way. But this is Martyrdöd. A band that has carved its name into the side of the crust genre for over ten years now, and they’re here with their latest record Elddop.
Martyrdöd is one of those bands that has made an excellent name for themselves since their beginnings back in 2003 with their self-titled release. The metallic crust-punks have kept a strong stance in the scene by having a distinct sound that is less focused on making as much noise as possible but slapping out some fine tuned cuts. Despite stretched times between releases, Martyrdöd have yet to produce an album I’d label as underwhelming. 2012’s Paranoia only added to their already incredible discography.
A mere two years ago Martyrdöd unleashed Paranoia, a badass, aggressive nugget of an album. The piece was a forty-two-minute destroyer that boasted mammoth sound. Elddop is very much like a sister album to Paranoia. But cranked up to eleven.
From start to finish, everything about Elddop brings an epic feel to it. The band has gotten even more metallic with their sound and their arrangements have become far more polished. Pieces like “Martyren” are comprised less of aggressive, pushing riffs ala In Extremis, and more driven by melody. Opener “Nödkanal” kicks this mentality right into gear as the album suits up for its first onslaught. The focus on excellent instrumental work brings out larger sounds and pumps the record up.
That’s not to say that Martyrdöd have lost their touch with their aggressive tendencies. Nay, the band has a plethora of slaughter that is almost stumbles over itself in an effort to bring the rage. “En Jobbigt Jävel” is one of the album’s best tracks that sounds like it belongs right at home on a Disfear record. This thrashy d-beat gem is a no bullshit frills that crunches through the speakers. Other tracks like “Slav Manual” and “Hjärnspoken" hit just as hard.
It’s the thrash elements that Martyrdöd throws in that bring a lot to the table as well. It feels like guitarists Mikael Kjellman and Pontus Redig are bringing their best game to the table. Tracks like “Synd” and the title track have Metallica vibes to their grooves. But make no mistake, these guys are still punk as hell. See: “Steg.”
Clocking in around forty-five minutes, Elddop is actually a lot to bite off. The record moves at a blazing speed and as a result, it’s difficult to wrap around it after only a few listens. Though it never feels like it suffers for it and it never feels like your forcing your way through it.
All in all, Elddop goes beyond Paranoia and shows that Martyrdöd are kings amongst metallic crust-punk. Elddop remains heavily rooted in crust-punk but this album goes as far as to bring in the feel of epic riffs that seriously shine. Fans of Disfear, Anticimex and Nux Vomica should dive right into this. Martyrdöd are one of the best of their genre, if not the best. And with the commanding personality that these songs spew, it’s easy to see why.
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