(Todd Manning wrote this review of the new split by Baltimore’s Neolithic and the Swedish band Martydöd, set for release on February 15 by Deep Six Records.)
Does anyone want to burn down a city to kick off the new year? If so, the new split between Neolithic and Martyrdöd should provide the perfect soundtrack to the chaos. This is a short record, but goddamn if it isn’t raging.
Neolithic is a newly formed Baltimore-based killing unit and they get things started with “Inner Adversary”. They come across as essentially a Death Metal band, but it’s also obvious that a love of D-Beat hardcore pumps through their veins as well. After kicking off with an awesome head-nodding Death Metal riff, they deftly maneuver through a crust-infused section and then alternate between the two poles. Near the end of the track, they descend into a slower, more dynamic passage which brings the track to a satisfying conclusion.
The band also have a three-track EP titled Cult of Ignorance due out in March (from which one track is streaming here), and based on “Inner Adversary”, I can’t wait to check it out.
And for anyone into Swedish Hardcore, Martyrdöd need no introduction. These guys are pretty much considered the current kings of D-Beat in some circles, and rightfully so. Here, they throw everything they’ve got into the raging song “War of Worlds”. Their trademark melodic guitar work is present, but so is an absolute mastery over quick rhythmic twists and turns that easily sets them apart from most bands of their ilk. With such a mighty reputation, it would be easy to hold them to unrealistic standards, yet these Swedes easily rise to the challenge.
While this is certainly a short split, it’s goddamn satisfying, two tracks of burly Crust and Death perfection. I already listened to it four times in a row on my way to work yesterday, and will probably repeat that ritual again. For fans of Martyrdöd, this certainly will make a nice addition to their collection, and I think, based on this release, we will be hearing a lot more from Neolithic in the future.
Deep Six Records:
http://www.deepsixrecords.com
Neolithic:
https://neolithicmd.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/neolithicmd/
Martydöd:
http://www.martyrdod.se
https://www.facebook.com/martyrdod/
One Response to “SHORT BUT SWEET: NEOLITHIC AND MARTYRDÖD (A SPLIT)”
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Neolithic was also a Polish death/doom band that started at the beginning of the 90’s of the previous century – they had a brilliant demo (The Personal Fragment of Life) – findable on YT, followed by two albums, the title of one of which was in strange English (go to Encyclopaedia Metallum); the band later turned into some stoner/heavy hybrid under a different name (Black River, now on hiatus)