''Martyrium'' is the first recorded and second released studio album by the Norwegian

unblack metal Unblack metal (also known as Christian black metal) is a religious philosophy and subgenre within black metal, inheriting several characteristics of it, such as the melody, the lyrics and the aesthetics ( corpse paint), whose artists either dire ...

band

Antestor Antestor () is a Norwegian Christian extreme metal band formed in 1990 in Jessheim. Credited for starting the northern European Christian metal, Christian black metal scene,Bryzak, Michael. Liner notes of ''The Defeat of Satan'' album. 2003. End ...

. It is one of the earliest Christian

extreme metal Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. It has been defined as a "cluster of metal subgenres characterized by sonic, verbal, and visual tran ...

albums released in Norway. Recorded in 1994, ''Martyrium'' was not immediately released, though bootleg copies of the album were printed in 1997 by Morphine Records. It then gained a cult following among a small audience until it was officially released in the year 2000 by Endtime Productions.Michael Bryzak. Liner notes of ''The Defeat of Satan / Despair''. Endtime Productions. 2003.

Recording history

Originally Torodd Fuglesteg, head of the infamous Arctic Serenades label, sent Antestor to studio to record ''Martyrium''. At the time having problems with signing the band Groms for Arctic Serenades' roster, Fuglesteg said: "I was also in touch with Antestor at that time and I sent them into studio to do their Martyrium album. This album was later released through another label. I regarded, and still regard, Antestor as much darker than Groms, which was a happy-smiles band."Fuglested, Torudd
"Arctic Serenades"
Retrieved 2007-10-25. ''Martyrium'' was recorded at Norsk Lydskole in December 1994, remixed in February 1995, and was produced by Jon Ove Andersen and Antestor. Some problems occurred and in 1997, another label called Morphine Records ended up releasing only 50 bootleg copies of the album. However, tape copies circulated in up to fifth generation copies and their audience grew fast.Lucas (2004-08-28)
"Antestor biography"
Godcore. Retrieved 2007-10-30. Archived fro
the original
on 2007-10-17. Michael Bryzak writes in the liner notes of '' The Defeat of Satan / Despair'' compilation album (2003) that, although the first album was not officially released until 2000, "''Martyrium'' was rightfully considered a cult classic." In 1999, Antestor began collaborating with the Swedish label Endtime Productions, and the label released ''Martyrium'' the following year. The

cover art Cover art is a type of artwork presented as an illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book (often on a dust jacket), magazine, newspaper ( tabloid), comic book, video game (box art), music album (album art), ...

was changed to a painting by Kristian Wåhlin.

Overview

Musically, ''Martyrium'' leans toward a combination of

death metal Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, feat ...

doom metal Doom metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other heavy metal genres.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' ...

and

black metal Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with t ...

. The guitar playing emphasizes on tremolo riffs, and sometimes on slow doom metal riffs; the drumming ranges from down-tempo to mid-paced arrangements. Martyr's (Kjetil Molnes) vocals are mostly guttural, blackened death grunts and sometimes higher growls. Several songs showcase

progressive Progressive may refer to: Politics * Progressivism, a political philosophy in support of social reform ** Progressivism in the United States, the political philosophy in the American context * Progressive realism, an American foreign policy par ...

elements: "Depressed" begins with a

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solo followed by "orthodoxly sung funeral dirge." "Thoughts" begins with a 2-minute funeral mass organ solo, before the blackened death/doom output turns in. The song "Mercy Lord" showcases operatic, uncredited female vocals and cites the Psalm 51. "Searching" was featured on Cross Rhythms Music's ''Extreme Music Sampler volume 4''

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...

. "Mercy Lord", "Thoughts", and "Inmost Fear" were also featured on Rowe Production's compilation album ''Northern Lights: Norwegian Metal Compilation'' in 1996. Jamie Lee Rake of ''

HM Magazine ''HM Magazine'' is a monthly, digital and print on demand publication focusing on hard music and alternative culture of interest to Christians. It is headquartered in Houston, Texas. The magazine states that its goal is to "honestly and accurate ...

'' wrote of the Endtime Productions re-release of ''Martyrium'', suspecting that the progressive elements of the album made the band unnoticed innovators in the early Norwegian extreme metal scene:

Track listing

All songs by

. # "Spiritual Disease" – 6:42 # "Materialistic Lie" – 3:13 # "Depressed" – 6:43 # "Searching" – 3:00 # "Inmost Fear" – 5:38 # "Under the Sun" – 5:00 # "Thoughts" – 7:09 # "Martyrium" – 2:59 # "Mercy Lord" – 6:40

Personnel

;Antestor *Vegard Undal (Gard) - bass guitar *Svein Sander (Armoth) - drums *Kjetil Molnes (Martyr) - vocals *Lars Stokstad (Vemod) - guitars, keyboards, backing vocals, mixing *Erling Jorgensen (Pilgrim) - guitars, booklet photography ;Additional personnel *Kristian Wåhlin - cover artwork *Malling - logo artwork *Samuel Durling - executive producing *Göran Finnberg - mastering *Jon Ove Andersen - producing, engineering *Tora - additional female vocals

References

{{Authority control 2000 albums Antestor albums Albums with cover art by Kristian Wåhlin Death-doom albums Death metal albums by Norwegian artists Doom metal albums by Norwegian artists