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Martyr - Planet Metalhead - Reviewed By EXTREME METAL MANIAC BLOG! Tuesday March 8 2022, 2:07 PM

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Martyr - Planet Metalhead - Reviewed By EXTREME METAL MANIAC BLOG ! Check it out here at this link: https://extrememetalmaniacblog.blogspot.com/2022/03/martyr-planet-metalhead-review.html

Taste this Dutch Steel! Yeah well I've been saying that since 2020 when new music by them was popping up on Youtube. So finally we have a full length after all that time and yeah it's about time. You can only play their "Raise Your Horns, Unite" song so much before you sigh and go come on people put out the fuckin album. Who cares if you can't find a label.

Now for all of you kiddies out there, who are not Dutch Metal fans, going "WHO"? Yeah well MARTYR started out in the early 80's. Hell they're on Metal Massacre 6 dammit. They were power metal back when people still called it speed metal. In the 80's their debut was a mini LP with four cuts and three instrumentals. But their follow-up full length, Darkness at Time's Edge from 1986, was killer.

Darkness at Time's Edge was the album which was supposed to launch them to Euro Metal fame. Unfortunately it didn't and a few years later the band broke up. Fast forward to the late 2000's the band reunites and puts out the album Circle of 8 on Metal Blade Records in 2011. In my not so humble opinion that album was not good.

The band did put out another album, You Are Next, in 2016 but I never checked it out. For me, someone who is biased about Dutch Metal, I was done with em. But then two years ago I heard their new songs on Youtube and thought yeah this is good. So now finally we have a full length and power metal fans (who have the MARTYR patches on their battle jackets) can rejoice.

Call em 2020 or 2022 but hell MARTYR sound pretty damm good on this release. The opener "Raise Your Horns, Unite!" with the kids singing is a surprise. Then the band kicks in and this is 80's fuckin metal in your fuckin face! Yes original vocalist Robert van Haren still has the chops. Plus also an original member, guitarist Rick Bouwman, has nailed it as far as song writing and riffs that rock.

Aside from the memorable opening track I say that Planet Metalhead is a classic sounding power metal album. New drummer, Rick Valcon (who came on board in 2018) shows off early on the second cut "Demon Hammer" to why he's the perfect pick for that kit. Fuck I could go apeshit on this album's attributes. Galloping rhythms and great leads on DIO-esque sounding "Children of the Night" as well as "Metal Overdrive".

Seriously I think this is the best album MARTYR has ever done. Nuff Said. - EXTREME METAL MANIAC BLOG

Release Date: February 24, 2022

FFO: Judas Preist, Iron Maiden, Helloween

Location: The Netherlands

WELCOME TO MARTYR - METAL TORTURE SINCE 1982!

Martyr is a heavy / speed / power metal band from Utrecht / The Netherlands that exists since 1982. During their career, a few demo cassettes were released as well as a number of long players. The general public first became acquainted with Martyr in 1984 when Roadrunner Records released the ' Dutch Steel ' compilation album.

Martyr's contribution to this release entitled ' Snow And Fire ' is still a highlight on the band's setlist today. In 1985 their song ' En Masse (Stand Or Die) ' appeared on the notorious ' Metal Massacre VI ' album from the legendary U.S.A. based ' Metal Blade ' record label. Both releases gained interest from metalheads from all over the world.

The debut mini album ' For The Universe ', which was released the same year, nowadays is considered a genuine heavy metal classic. The well-known website ' Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives ' states: "Martyr's songwriting is vastly superior to most of its competitors".

Its successor ' Darkness At Time's Edge ' (1986) made Martyr's fanbase grow larger and larger and the band gigged and performed all over Europe. Martyr even was aired on MTV's 'Headbangers Ball' show.

After a few years however the band members decided to go separate ways and explore other musical directions in acts such as Medallion, Mindscape, Syrenade, Vangouw, Hot Legs and Wild Ride .

Needless to say, Martyr went on hiatus for a while... The flame however never flickered out and reignited around 2005 when they were asked to reunite to play old school metal festivals such as Heavy Maniacs Fest , Keep It True and Headbangers Open Air .

After the very successful reunion shows Martyr was back on track which resulted in the ' Fear The Universe ' compilation (2009, Rusty Cage Records ) and their highly anticipated comeback album ' Circle Of 8 ' on Metal Blade Records in 2011.

In 2014, Martyr was featured on the ' Dutch Steel (80's Metal From The Netherlands) ' compilation and their sophomore " after reunion " studio album ' You Are Next ' was released in 2016 by Into The Limelight Records .

The group frequently performs home and abroad, as a headliner or as a support act such as Manilla Road , Lizzy Borden, Saxon, Iced Earth and Trivium . The absolute highlights in Martyr's career so far have been three tours in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Their performance at the sold out 2019 edition of the legendary True Thrash Fest in Osaka was recorded and released on their most recent output ' Live In Japan ' which was released worldwide through Pt78 Records (The Netherlands) in co-operation with Rock Stakk Records (Japan). The album contains songs from their career-spanning back catalogue.

Martyr is releasing their new full-length on 24 February 2022. The 3 previously released songs ' No Time For Goodbyes', 'Fire Of Rebellions' and ' Raise Your Horns, Unite !' already showed an excellent performance beforehand. With 2 online listening sessions in December 2021 the band got confirmation that this material was the best thing Martyr has ever produced and it will be the next step forward. All songs are written by MARTYR, produced, mixed and mastered by drummer Rick Valcon at RA Recordings and are of excellent production quality. The new artwork is created by Wasi Kendedes .

"Planet Metalhead" will prove Martyr is still a force to be reckoned with.

Check out this video!