Now Martriden is a melodic death metal band. Yeah, my ears used to go there. It wasn't pleasant, although I might've said otherwise when I still thought Opeth was unique and Nile was brutal. Montana's Martriden are a bit different than their annoying Gothenburg counterparts in that they combine predictable Iron Maiden melodies with elements of black metal and sinister synths. Their music on The Unsettling Dark reminds me more of Dissection than say At The Gates or even commercial turds In Flames, which is a plus considering the Gothenburg scene's mediocrity.
There's also a cliche, bland metalcore sound on a few tracks. They happen to pop up every once in awhile, and when they do it's fucking annoying. "Ascension, Pt. 1" is a great example of this. It opens with uninspired noodling and a dumb breakdown "chug, chug-chug" riff.
Generally though these guys do a good job of displaying their musical talent without relying on those cliches. "The Enigma Of Fate" has some quality melodic black metal riffing and subtle symphonics which don't detract from the track, and "A Season In Hell" begins like one of Vader's or Behemoth's slower tracks. As the track grows, it builds into an atmospheric solo which makes a great transition into the acoustic outro. The title track is perhaps the most intense on the album with speed chugging riffs and double bass out the ass. It's alright if nothing special.
The production on The Unsettling Dark is light and typical for this kind of melodic death metal. The drums are the standout with a clean, triggered sound while the bass takes a backseat to the guitar. It's not like I expected anything more or less when I listen to a melodic death/black metal album. Overall it's pretty meh though and there's definitely better albums in the genre out there.
6.0 out of 10
Tracklisting:
Eventually.
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