Martyr will always be one of my favorite heavy metal bands from my own country. Back when nearly every Dutch metal band was taking their inspiration from various corners of the new wave of British heavy metal scene, Martyr adopted an approach that was notably more ambitious, melodically rich, and yet too accessible to truly call it progressive. None of their post-reunion releases have quite scratched that same itch that especially 1986’s ‘Darkness at Time’s Edge’ did for me, despite Martyr’s best singer Rop van Haren appearing on all of them, but ‘Dark Believer’ might have just done that for me.

Twenty-first century Martyr is a slightly different beast than eighties Martyr, in the sense that the band doesn’t shy away from modern influences, though unlike many of their peers, not in a desperate bid to stay relevant. The guitars courtesy of Justin Schut and founding member Rick Bouwman have a sharp, contemporary bite to them, giving much of their recent work an almost speed metal-like edge, and the productions are quite busy. What makes ‘Dark Believer’ stand out from Martyr’s recent output, even from its very worthwhile 2022 predecessor ‘Planet Metalhead’, is that the contemporary touches blend with the band’s melodic sensibilities nearly perfectly here.

A majority of ‘Dark Believer’ is carried by exquisite guitar harmonies and a pleasantly theatrical vocal performance by Van Haren, whose voice appears to be untouched by the sands of time. Upon first spin, some of the song structures can come across as a bit chaotic, but once the material clicks, the realization that every part of the fairly busy arrangements is where it is for a reason will sink in. What’s remarkable is that Martyr’s sound has many of the same elements as many Queensrÿche-inspired neo-USPM bands, yet they combine them in a different way, ending up with an instantly recognizable and truly unique style.

It doesn’t surprise me that ‘Wrath of the Fallen’ was chosen to be one of the album’s singles. The song is full of catchy vocal and guitar melodies, and it just screams eighties metal euphoria. Also, Martyr’s style simply works wonders for epic, somewhat progressive songwriting, as can be heard on ‘Cemetery Symphony’, the twin riff monster ‘Harvest of Souls’, and the more concise, but equally dramatic closer ‘Legions of the Cross’. The intense ‘Venoms Scent’ and the vaguely Priest-ish ‘Insidious’ highlight the more aggressive side of the band, and feel like a logical, slightly enhanced take on the ‘Planet Metalhead’ sound.

‘Dark Believer’ is my favortie fusion of the melodies of old school Martyr and the increased intensity of modern Martyr thus far. Not unlike its predecessor, it’s a little faster than most of their other post-reunion albums, and the harmonies and the vocal melodies are a bit more pronounced. Again, things may come across as a bit too busy if you’re not used to Martyr’s progressive heavy metal sound, but give it some time, and you may find something here you will like. There aren’t many bands who release an album this good forty years after their debut album.

Recommended tracks: ‘Wrath of the Fallen’, ‘Cemetery Symphony’, ‘Legions of the Cross’