MARTYR – You Are Next
- by Matt Coe
- Posted on 10-02-2016
The fourth full-length "You Are Next" from Dutch metal act Martyr is another crash course in the fusion of power, thrash and traditional values. Bassist Jeffrey Bryan Rijnsburger is the latest lineup recruit in 2013- but outside of that, the others in the quintet also were around for their first go-around during the 1980’s. Injecting modern tones and groove elements into "Inch by Inch" and "Mother’s Tear" doesn’t really elevate the basic riffs and tempos that would probably be considered cutting room floor material by Metallica, Metal Church and others of that ilk.
Such a shame too as you can tell vocalist Rop van Haren has seasoned pipes and a multi-octave range (check out the double kick oriented "Infinity"), but you just get the feeling that Martyr are going through the motions in terms of the labored transitions, half-hearted lead breaks, and general ho-hum atmosphere as the 44-minute album rolls through your speakers. Maybe the band needs to take a look at the younger brigade like Enforcer, Skull Fist, and Striker to see how to inject better energy and songwriting skills for future recordings.
Better luck next time gentlemen.
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