HOPELESS HOPES

"Hopeless Hopes" is the debut full-length studio album by Canadian, Quebec based technical death metal act Martyr. The album was originally independently released in November 1997, but Galy Records reissued the album in 2006 giving it a better chance to be heard. Martyr formed in 1994 and released the 1995 "Ostrogoth" demo and the 1997 "Non Conformis" demo before opting to self-release "Hopeless Hopes". The latter mentioned demo is a pre-production demo featuring the album track "Non Conformis". The three demo tracks from the "Ostrogoth" demo have been re-recorded and included on "Hopeless Hopes" (along with the final version of "Non Conformis").

Stylistically Martyr are obviously greatly influenced by mid-90s Death (the band) and their sophisticated and technical death metal sound, and it´s fans of that sound who are the main audience for "Hopeless Hopes". But Martyr haven´t clearly defined their sound at this point, and there is a more brutal and direct death metal element found on "Hopeless Hopes", which at times remind me of a less pummeling and brutal Deicide. So while "Hopeless Hopes" is sometimes both technical and progressive in style (which is heard on the opening title track), it has this other more savage and menacing side to it too. The vocals also vary between a raw Chuck Schuldiner (Death) snarling and a more brutal shouting/growling Glen Benton (Deicide) type vocal style.

Martyr are a well playing band, but the sound production is slightly lacking in the power department, which makes "Hopeless Hopes" less effective than it could have been. All instruments and vocals are clearly defined in the mix, but there is a something about the levels and the mix which doesn´t work as well as it could have. Upon conclusion "Hopeless Hopes" is a decent quality debut album from Martyr, but while my blood occasionally boils while listening to it, the blatant mid-90s Death clone factor and the lack of power in the sound production are elements which drag my rating down. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives).

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