It's crazy to think that it's been six years since the last Martyrdoom release. A lot can happen in that time, bands grow, sometimes in unexpected ways, and other times they just get better at what they started doing in the first place. The latter is certainly the case for Martyrdoom whose latest album As Torment Prevails is nine tracks of punishingly heavy death doom laden with groove, flashy guitars and gloriously brutal riffs. It's a deadly combination and one that Martyrdoom have clearly taken the time to lean in and perfect.
As Torment Prevails is an absolutely massive sounding record, and while the band has certainly not shied away from classic death doom tropes, they have also found ways to build on their sound. The guitar tone in particular is absolutely stupifying and the execution on classic death metal riffs counterbalanced with gloriously heavy bass tones is thrilling on tracks like "93". The Autopsy cover that closes out the record is also an impressive gemstone, seeing the band appropriately breathing new life into an all time death metal classic. The gnarled and thorny execution of these tracks only adds to the vibe, Martyrdoom have crafted something that sounds great but which is unafraid to lean into the darkest of dungeon death metal vibes.
Martyrdoom are placed among the masters of the current death doom scene for a reason. Their music is a perfect distillation of the core of the genre, with few frills and plenty of delectable riffs. The bands ability to lean into these crushing tropes and fascinate listeners with riff after riff speaks to a dynamic execution that is going to keep you coming back to the swirling maelstrom of the underground. For those of us who pay tribute to this new crop of death doom, you can't forget that Martyrdoom predate a lot of it, and they're crushing.
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