Martriden

Montana isn’t exactly a hotbed of extreme music. Martiden, an outfit from the northern state, are a group that provides a sound as vast as Montana’s open spaces with just their first kick at the can. The band’s full-length debut, The Unsettling Dark, is a fantastically brutal journey that fuses the vicious sounds of black and death metal into the mash up genre perfected by acts like Behemoth. The Unsettling Dark is best compared to those Polish powerhouses, as Matriden also use death metal-style guitar and drum work, with hints of epic keyboard lines and blackened vocals. Emperor are an obvious influence for this young band (most of whom are in their early 20s) as well, so much so that Ihsahn and company caught wind of the band and had them open for the legendary Norwegians when they played selected dates in the U.S. Matriden also throw in a few nice moments of variety. While maintaining a ferocious pace for the vast majority of the record, there are small, folk-inspired moments that are obvious salutes to Enslaved. Throw in a guest appearance from Testament thrasher James Murphy and the outcome is a stunning debut from a band with a sound years beyond their age.