"Beyond The Thresholds" is the debut album from this Black / Death Metal band from Spain. Since the very first riffs, the darkness that this band creates enshrouds the listener with a quite asphyxiating aura. Their style can be considered as orthodox Black Metal, similar to early WATAIN, OFERMOD, ONDSKAPT and early MAYHEM. Also there are many references to the most cruel form of Death Metal. Bands like INCANTATION, IMMOLATION, TRYPTYKON and POSSESSED can be named here. The production is simply perfect for this kind of music, and the vocals are also very good. They sound strong and powerful, as if the vocalist is in a rushing need to invoke higher demons. Sometimes the band creates an atmosphere comparable to bands like PORTAL, later era GORGUTS and DEATHSPELL OMEGA. That also means that the musicianship is very good and the compositions, while complex, at the same time flow in a great way from song to song. One can sense the hatred that these incantations spew out, as within this musical chaos there is definitely a controlled darkness to be summoned. Yes, I have no problem admitting that there are some other bands doing a similar style, but only a few are able to come up triumphant and without a doubt MARTHYRIUM are amongst the few chosen for that. This is a ritual put to music, and it is the kind of great Black / Death Metal that can surely lit black candles with its demonic performance alone. Surely a great release, for those seeking darkness turned to music, this is it. www.facebook.com/marthyrium-165663390199955, www.blackseedprod.com

Spanish three piece MARTHYRIUM are releasing their first album via BlackSeed Productions and I got to say I really expected more of them, since I know the old stuff and some of the side projects pretty well. But this album doesn’t manage to find its unique place. If you listen to the 2007 demo “Rites Of Vengeance And Darkness” or the 2008 EP “Morbid Omen Of Devastation” you will recognize that they never weren’t the most inventive band in the Black Metal cosmos. But at least they had an urge to attack and destroy. The voice and the brutal drumming provided an interesting, ugly Black Metal. Of course after ten years you develop your style, your sound and so on. But in my ears it lost some of its personality in the attempt of creating something big which might be too ambitious for them. The production is very massive and oppressive, capable of setting the right frame for a decent longplayer. But sadly it’s just too much. The simple songwriting doesn’t really work with that thick and heavy sound they work with. And also the length of most of the songs is just not framing the idea. With songs that are mostly around five minutes it seems as if there wasn’t enough ideas of how to work out something special in that time and instead they use the simplest recipes to fill that void. Though it’s really not a bad record, it just doesn’t catch me somewhere specific or tries something new. It offers a range from second wave Black Metal, some experimental, chaotic Black Metal with raw and cold influences. Mixed decently but simply not haunting enough. But definitely worth checking: www.facebook.com/marthyrium-165663390199955, www.blackseedprod.com