Words: Ryan Getz
As I sit here in this coffeeshop I felt an involuntary surge of adrenaline as those first few seconds of “The Devil’s Grip” figuratively punched me in the face. What wasn’t figurative, though, is how I had to consciously make an effort to retain my composure just now.
I remember being impressed by the band’s set a few years ago when myself and fellow Tuned Up pals Marco Castro and Ray Cobra drove to a suburb of Pittsburgh for Alliance Festival. In spite of the festival’s mishaps several bands delivered killer sets. This metalcore band was definitely one of them. And they aren’t one to give up brutality in exchange for accessibility. They just are who they are. Facedown Records didn’t screw up when they signed them. Though the band is no longer with that label, the mere fact that the pair have history ought to be evidence enough that Blood of the Martyrs is worth your time.
The band channels both A Plea For Purging and Sleeping Giant at different points in the EP, sometimes in the same song. Case in point: “The Better Man.” “We sail these violet seas, but we can make the shore” is a line that might as well be a battle cry. The spoken word piece “I’ve questioned why I fight this. But I have hope, because I know your lighthouse is on the shore
so for the first time in a long time, I’m not afraid anymore” hits my emotions in almost the same way the initial punch of “The Devils Grip” almost made me jump out of my chair or headbang or something.
By the time that “Return to Malice” hits I’ve accepted that my attempts at self-control in this calm public space are futile. If I look a little odd subtly rocking out so be it. “Make your face kiss the floor” is a call to reverence that is both effective and kind of a hilarious visual.
It’s with two songs left in the EP that I realize how darn catchy this is. This is what I wish For Today would be like. While I have a hard time articulating what it is exactly that Blood of the Martyrs does that makes their style more effective than some of their genre counterparts (not the band Counterparts, ha!) I’m left with a nearly blank mind. All I know is how I react to this music and that’s just fine.
Also its worth mentioning that the band ends their EP with a little burst of adrenaline in the last song. I actually sensed my eyes widen in surprise as this feeling came back with a sense of deja vu in tow.
Just check out the EP if you like loud, fun metal, okay?
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgfzlOx3_og[/youtube]
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