Review Summary: Entry level -core.
It should go without saying that any genre that blows up as quickly as deathcore will clutter up with amateurs, few of which are interested in much besides the attention and the money. It’s spiritual predecessor, nu-metal, choked to death on a similar avalanche of last-wave cash-grabbers. With the sub-genre collapsing under their weight, the title of Blood of the Martyrs’ debut seems delivered with a wry little smirk. “Once More, With Feeling,” indeed.
If only the band could have followed up on that promise. Give them credit for trying, but Blood of the Martyrs can only manage a couple of inspired glimmers amid a lot of chugging and those tasteless keyboards that have gotten a hold of its “–core” genre cousins.
Then again, the band does make better use of them than the majority of their peers. The electronics on “Lady Nightshade” and “Vietnamese Two-Step Viper” keep the songs rolling, administering a much-needed defibrillation to the latter cut when it needs it most: over the breakdown.
Blood of the Martyrs have yet learned that brutality can be achieved by means other than beating on the lowest string. This may be the album’s biggest detractor, especially for more seasoned metalheads: tracks 4 – 7 dissolve into chugfests that don’t always luck out on electronics like the aforementioned “Vietnamese…”. It’s disheartening to find that neither the drums nor bass can adequately distract. While the former show promise, they deconstruct into generic breakdown beats far too often.
Not all is lost with Blood of the Martyrs, however. For those breaking themselves into more extreme genres of metal, “Once More, With Feeling” isn't too bad a starting point. Lee, this album's vocalist, is more than capable of hitting those gravelly lows and mid-range shrieks without sounding too goofy. There are moments where he recalls Msuhroomhead's J.Mann.
I've been hard on “Once More, With Feeling,” but I have to admit that their formula can occasionally gel. The atrocious lyrics on “Ahh…Real Monsters!!” can’t keep it from being the highlight of the album with some surprisingly compelling vocals and guitar/keyboard interplay, and “The Guild of Calamitous Intent” is an interesting, if slightly disjointed, instrumental that closes the album on a good note.
If you’re looking to ease your way into heavier music, Blood of the Martyrs may be what you’ve been seeking. Otherwise, give "Once More, With Feeling" a pass.
