Artist: Martröð
Country: International
Label: Debemur Morti Productions
Formats: LP / CD
Year: 2025
When the debut release of Martröð hit in 2016, it certainly made a splash. Released on Terratur Possessions, it fit perfectly with the enhanced focus on the Icelandic Black Metal scene of that time, even though Martröð itself wasn’t strictly from that scene. Still, the band line-up certainly contributed to the soaring interest in the band. On their EP ‘Transmutation of Wounds’, the band featured Leviathan’s Wrest, Misþyrming frontman D.G., vocalist MkM of Antaeus and Aosoth, Darvaza and Choas Invocation drummer Gionata Potenti/ Omega alongside Alexander Poole of countless different bands including Chaos Moon, Skáphe and Ichors Glaive, and H.V. Lyngdal of amongst others Wormlust. What seemed to be a one-time affair turned out to be rather a separation of entities, as out of that Black Metal starstudded ensemble, only Alexander Poole and H.V. Lyngdal remain on the band’s first full-length, the Debemur Morti released ‘Draumsýnir Eldsins’.
‘Transmutation of Wounds’ was a highly dissonant, buzzing record, with a subcutaneous twisting sense of riffs, disorienting keyboards and MkM’s typical commanding vocal style. In that sense, it was not that far off from a mix of the likes of Deathspell Omega, Misþyrming, Svartidauði, Skáphe and Aosoth with a little dash of Leviathan for good measure in the gnarly atmosphere. But if you thought that record was intense, swirling, chaotic and delirious, then brace yourself for ‘Draumsýnir Eldsins’.
The album consists of four tracks which all hover between 8 and 10 minutes, totalling nearly 37 minutes of dissonant and restless Black Metal. After a hoarse shriek of H.V. opens ‘Sköpunin’, the song ruptures into a cacophony of dissonant riffs and frenzied drumming. Wild, intense and unpredictable, the sound has a mechanical twist that reminds me mostly of Mayhem’s ‘Grand Declaration of War’, though in the riffs there is a clear signature of Blasphemer’s work on ‘Chimera’ as well. As the song breaks into a calmer, more atmospheric break, the listener gets a minute or so to catch a breath, before the band brings back the suffocating flurry of drums and twisting riffs. If you dive deep enough a more open and simple melody can be discerned, along with some moody keyboards and even ethereal choirs. But these are like a singular rose in the midst of a wall of thorny bushes. Relief is only temporary, as Martröð is not intent to spare the listener for too long. It is a common thread between the tracks on ‘Draumsýnir Eldsins’, where nervous layers of guitars join with rabid drums and hoarse shrieks, while sparingly giving way for more ambient breaks. Even these can be suffocating, or at least, they barely give relief. It’s in the volatile nature of the music that every time the music slows down it keeps you on your guard, knowing this lapse in intensity can end at any given moment.
With the departure of MkM, Wrest, Omega and D.G. the music has also morphed slightly, going all in on the dissonance and controlled chaos. While ome years ago the number of bands attempting that style seemed to grow out of control, these days the interest in that sound seems to have dwindled. So certainly one can commend Martröð for persisting in that vision to present their debut album 10 years after the first sign of life. ‘Draumsýnir Eldsins’ is relentless, continuously tearing you from flurries of riffs to moments of pause, back into a maelstrom of blistering drums and dissonant layered guitars. It’s quite impressive how all these unsettling elements come together and clearly, you can hear why the musicians took their time to conjure this debut album. Personally, the unrelenting nervousness is too much for me. But nonetheless, it’s an intriguing album for those that yearn to plunge themselves in a swirling choking mass of Black Metal chaos.
