Martikor – Acedia
Release Date: 12th April 2024
Label: Self Released
Bandcamp
Genre: Blackened Sludge, Progressive Death Metal, Post-Metal, Doom.
FFO: Neurosis, Oathbreaker, Amenra, Yob.
Review By: Paul Cairney
Martikor was originally the work of 1 man. Lenn is the main composer of the band, and was responsible for the rather decent debut album, ‘Soliloquy’. However, recording the follow-up, Acedia, with more of a band, has resulted in a far more rounded and aggressive album.
Acedia ‘centres around the complexity of human emotion and explores the shadowy corners of the mind, apparently’. What is utterly apparent is that Acedia is an incredibly bleak collection of tracks that delve in and out of various interlinking genres, be it blackened sludge, post-metal, death metal as well as black metal. All of these genres are combined and have a progressive edge that constantly keeps the listener on edge. A neat trick if you can pull it off.
And pull it off, Martikor do. Each of the 7 tracks on offer provide the listener with a unique experience. Dissonant guitars abound, and envelope the album in heavy bleakness that invades and seeps into your thoughts. Opening track, ‘Soothing Rattle’ is a prime example of the albums intent. It is a tough, and rewarding listen as the song evolves throughout its almost 10-minute run time.
The album actually lasts just shy of 50 minutes, with the shortest song, ‘Awake (Bidar)’ being a mere 5 minutes long. A cliché often used by reviewers is that an album doesn’t feel its length, and in this case the cliché is true. The judicious application of despair throughout is eased in the closing tracks, with the aforementioned ‘Awake (Bidar)’ and the closing title track, ‘Acedia’, in the words of the band, provide ‘light and hope’ as Acedia draws to a close.
Martikor have hit oil with this release. Acedia taps into the darkest thoughts of the listener and somehow lifts you out. It embraces the psyche, and then Lenn’s tortured black-metal style vocals resonate as you attempt to make sense of the world.
In the hands of a talented musician, Martikor have a bright future. Acedia is a cut above the debut album and an indicator to where the band could end up.
(4 / 5)
