Artist: Scar The Martyr
Title: Scar The Martyr
Genre: Metal
Release Date: 27th September 2013
Label: Roadrunner Records
Album Review
Sticksman Joey Jordison of SLIPKNOT fame put together SCAR THE MARTYR in 2013 as a side-project. He states this band is now his primary concern. So is it SLIPKNOT MK2 or a bold new direction?
The thorny fright-mask cover art suggests not only a link to his former band, but the same brand of doom-laden horror metal, speed riffs and general nastiness that is the stock trade of his former employers. And a sinister instrumental opening cements this, bleeding into ‘Dark Ages’. But hang on a minute. Despite some predictably furious percussion, unknown and rather un-metal named vocalist Henry Derek just doesn’t cut it here. His singing voice is far too similar to SLIPKNOT main-man Corey Taylor. And despite choppy guitars, time changes and the odd shouty bit to remind you this is ROCK, at almost seven minutes long it’s way too indulgent and nowhere near interesting enough. It feels like everything the album wants to achieve has been crammed, or rather stretched, into this opening gamble.
The song titles themselves suggest something darkly unsettling, and ‘Soul Disintegration’ starts well, chilling synths and angry guitars piling on the menace. But there’s a horrible chorus in there breaking the spell. Mr Derek sounds like he’d be more comfortable belting out big tunes from mid-eighties RAINBOW than trying to sound scary. ‘Cruel Ocean’ doesn’t sound cruel at all, it’s made up of good bits and bad bits, and this disjointed approach is infuriating at times. ‘Effigy Unborn’ almost lives up to its horrific title, tumbling drums and growly vocals (managing to ape METALLICA’s James Hetfield at times) is completely ruined by the almost cutely sung ‘I want to wear your face’. Perhaps that’s the point. But it just made me laugh.
Excruciating nonsense ‘Anatomy Of Erinyes’ would have been rejected by the late Ronnie James Dio as too overblown (now there’s a thing!) and by the time we reach ‘Last Night On Earth’ it seems only a miracle will save us. Horror-film gothic in its intro, it lets you think it’s building to something huge. But a horribly sludgy riff underpins this mess before it cascades off into another poorly constructed chorus. It last nearly nine minutes. I have long since left the building. There are elements here of metal, punk, gothic, there are dark textures draped around here and there, and moments that are genuinely sinister and menacing. SLIPKNOT perfected this, always fat-free, in your face, and breathlessly brutal. Unfortunately SCAR THE MARTRY have arrived at the party late, wearing the same black clothes as the other kids, but carrying cheap wine and with a curfew of 10 O’clock.
Tracklist
01. Intro
02. Dark Ages
03. My Retribution
04. Soul Disintegration
05. Cruel Ocean
06. Blood Host
07. Sign Of The Omeneye
08. Anatomy Of Erinyes
09. Prayer For Prey
10. White Nights In A Day Room
11. Effigy Unborn
12. Never Forgive Never Forget
13. Mind’s Eye
14. Last Night On Earth
Line-up
Joey Jordison
Henry Derek
Chris Vrenna
Jed Simon
Kris Norris
Website
https://www.facebook.com/ScarTheMartyr / http://www.scarthemartyr.com/
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 5
Sound: 5
Total: 5 / 10
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