The unparalleled Swedish giants of modern metallic d-beat, MARTYRDÖD, return this November with their sixth full-length of endlessly fascinating, devastatingly different crust, List, once again through Southern Lord, as with 2012’s Paranoia and 2014’s Elddop. Their calling card of lamenting melodies churned out at breakneck pace has become more and more pronounced with each new record, and now on List, MARTYRDÖD has elevated to a new artistic highpoint. The combination of crisp Scandinavian metal distortion and intricate, folk-like guitar leads contribute to a record that feels like one for the ages — very much like the fearsome, In Extremis. The very first sample from List has been issued in the form of a video trailer for “Harmagedon” – the full video to be shared soon. crackling with velocity and filled to the brim with incendiary guitar work, this is a track that references so much of Sweden’s metal history while staying true to the infallible punk engine that powers them, the d-beat.
Photo by Jimmy Johansson.
MARTYRDÖD is a central figure in the modern era of the international community of crust, in no small part due to their members’ links to other exemplary bands such as Skitsystem and Agrimonia, but over the years, their powerful allure has resonated in a whole host of intrigued listeners across the spectrum of heavy, enamored by their bleak outlook and scorching melodies. For fifteen years, the members of MARTYRDÖD have honed their craft to a level of mastery, and it shows — List is quite possibly the most refined record to slip in to their furious, spiky discography, and it doesn’t let up for a moment.
List will be released via Southern Lord on November 25th, with additional video and audio assets to follow in the coming weeks, as well as preorder info.
“[Elddop] doesn’t merely improve on the band’s already incredible body of work; it distills MARTYRDÖD’s sound to its most exciting elements, leaving everything but the highlights on the cutting-room floor…Elddop feels totally fresh and thrillingly new, yet employs only those tools fashioned in the ancient forges… I can’t imagine any generation of metal fan for whom Elddop would seem inappropriate – in many ways, it’s the very essence of metal.” – Stereogum
“A mouldy spill-stain dried into the floor of the extreme underground? Not anymore. Crust-punk might revel in its filth-under-the-fingernails status, but this generation – spearheaded by Swedish fiends MARTYRDÖD – are slicing through the grime with spiked metallic sheen. There’s a streak of Bathory’s epic Scandinavian grandeur, punched through with a fistful of Metallica’s thrash…MARTYRDÖD have polished their serrated cutting edge to perfection here.” – Kerrang
“This is light years beyond most of the competition, and should be considered nothing less than essential.” – Rock A Rolla
“Probably the best d-beat band in the world, strictly thanks to fusing the fiercest of crossover legacies with full-on metal majesty…possessing a mastery of metal’s arsenal, they’re capable of having perfect thrash gallop-fests morph into scorched-earth trails of filthy crust.” – Metal Hammer
” All in all, Elddop goes beyond Paranoia and shows that MARTYRDÖD are kings amongst metallic crust-punk. Elddop remains heavily rooted in crust-punk but this album goes as far as to bring in the feel of epic riffs that seriously shine. Fans of Disfear, Anti-Cimex and Nux Vomica should dive right into this. MARTYRDÖD are one of the best of their genre, if not the best. And with the commanding personality that these songs spew, it’s easy to see why.” – Metal Injection
