MARTYR – Circle Of 8

Martyr is out there again with a full length CD entitled Circle Of 8.  As it was perfectly heard on Fear, Martyr’s return didn’t bring them back in the same form that reigned right before they disbanded in 1987.  They became darker and heavier, but still delivered a shred of ’80s NWOBHM that once made them so great. Circle Of 8 maintained the same line that was introduced on Fear, and Martyr, like several of the comeback bands of the ’80s, has been attempting to accomplish a double mission:  remaining true to their roots while not ignoring the signs of the modern times.

Their production on this album, which is merely a modern replica of their past releases, sounds ok, though the mixing was rather stuffed as the channels (beside the vocals) were knee deep in each other’s throats. As for the musical direction, Martyr tried to serve up fresh platters mixed with their old heritage, yet it wasn’t ground breaking. “Art Of Deception” and “Afterlife” are some of the better examples of how Martyr succeeded with their semi-fresh approach. “Scene Of Hell”, unlike the others, sounded more ’80s oriented with touches of German Old School, however, it was rather recycled. “Speed Of Samurai” was re-recorded and displayed as a token of memory of the band’s Classic era that, as it seems to be, will never be returning any time soon. The track was performed well, although Van Haren is no match for his predecessor.

There was a hope that Martyr wouldn’t be drowned by today’s present musical perception, but they were.  They didn’t lose their Old School identity or anything, yet their identity was darkened for sure. Circle Of 8 is a fair release by a great band that still “has it”, however, they would have been better suited to deliver something similar to the glory days of Heavy / Speed Metal.

Tracklist

1. DI
2. Afterlife
3. Art of Deception
4. Circle of 8
5. All Warriors Blood
6. The Uninvited
7. Insensible Scream
8. Scene of Hell
9. Fake
10. Justified Killing
11. Locked
12. Speed of Samurai

Lineup

Robern Van Haren – Vocals
Marcel Heesakkers – Guitars / Keyboards
Rick Bouwman – Guitars
Antoine Van Der Linden – Bass
Wilfried Broekman – Drums