In 1985 Holland’s Martyr released their EP For The Universe. Back then with a different vocalist and another guitarist. Now, 24 years later, it’s time for a re-release, which comes together with a brand new EP called Fear. Combine these two, put them in a new digipack and you get…Fear The Universe. It’s really as simple as that. Let’s look at the differences and qualities of the band in 1985 and now, shall we?

 

What’s most striking about this oldie, is the production it carries. This is some really old heavy/thrash metal! The sound is far from optimal but I wouldn’t wanna state it makes it impossible to listen to it without getting annoyed. It just sounds outdated. By the way, to get an idea of how old this really is you should check out the pictures in the digipack, now that’s metal! But let’s cut the crap. Music wise this band wasn’t anything quite spectacular back in the days. There’s thrashy guitars, which make me personally think of old Metallica stuff, and some damn high vocals. It’s all blended into mid-tempo songs that sound ehm…like old metal. Mainly, the music sounds just like one would expect, and it therefore sounds a bit cliché. For the fans this re-release might be something cool but other people can easily stay far away from this. Decent but not special at all. (55/100)

 

Comparing Fear to For The Universe is somewhat like comparing a hot 20-year-old girl to your own (grand)mother. It’s not entirely fair to the oldest one of the two. In this case, the production differs quite a lot, and also vocalist Rop van Haren is a big step forward for the band. Not that I like his voice that much, it’s just that it’s a lot better and convincing. He’s got a typical voice that suits the music quite well, but if it was up to me he should have used some more angry vocals. I miss the real aggression in his voice. Music wise I still have my doubts after hearing the old and the new version of Martyr. I miss speedy metal parts or raging outbursts. I miss catchy melodies and the whole thing sounds so, well, dull actually. I just can’t imagine that hearing this music live will make you bang your head instantly. Sure, these guys can play, but it’s not like it makes me jump around my room screaming for more. Nope, Martyr just doesn’t cut it for me. Mid-tempo hardrock/heavy metal really should be your thing I guess. (65/100)