Face Yourself
Martyr
Sumerian Records
For some reason the term ‘deathcore’ became a dirty word in the 2010’s with bands actively distancing themselves from the genre. Thankfully a whole new generation have discovered the delights of breakdowns and blast beats, and couldn’t care less about any negative connotations the scene once generated. Intercontinental band Face Yourself are reclaiming deathcore, and are doing so in some style. Since forming in 2023, they’ve operated with an energy that’s just as frenetic as their sound and have already released three EP’s whilst clocking up over six million streams. Martyr finds the band refining their modus operandi further, distilling their sound until all that’s left is a highly flammable substance. Despite operating as a sextet, there’s not one superfluous note on this release and that means there’s a certain amount of menace radiating from each of these six tracks. With a lyrical bent that’s just as dark and foreboding as their music, the likes of ‘Predatory’ and ‘Saboteur’ take the listener to some bleak soundscapes. Yet there’s an overarching feeling of redemption, a sense of finding strength in adversity, and it is from here that Martyr derives much of its power, meaning its time for you to “face yourself”.
Review by Peter Dennis.