Release Date July 3rd, 2026
Format Digital
Genre Thrash Metal, Crossover
Origin England
Based in Bristol, Martyrs Saint emerged through the south west English underground with a crossover style built from thrash velocity, hardcore grooves and a strong emphasis on physical impact. The band consists of Brandon Goodair on guitar and vocals, Amaré Hurley on lead guitar and backing vocals, Louie Hawkes on drums, and Harvey Lewis on bass. Their live activity has placed them across bills covering thrash, death metal, hardcore and punk, giving them regular exposure to audiences expecting speed, aggression and pit ready rhythm. Martyrs Saint uses thrash as the main engine and hardcore as the source of their rhythmic stomp, vocal attack and blunt attitude.
The guitar pairing is central to their sound, with Goodair supplying the core riffing and Hurley adding lead work that widens the musical range. Hawkes brings rapid snare strikes and heavy transitions, while Lewis anchors the lower end with enough presence to stop the guitars swallowing the mix. Appearances across regional venues and at Southwest Heavy Fest have helped shape a reputation based on ferocious stage energy and compact songwriting. That background matters here, since the songs are arranged around immediate crowd response, sudden tempo shifts and riffs built for motion. "From Strength To Strength" is their debut EP, issued independently, and it presents the band in a concise four song format that skips unnecessary detours.
"From Strength To Strength" opens with riffing designed for immediate movement, using compact patterns, gang ready accents and vocals centred on defiance and self belief. "Enemy Of My Enemy" continues through twisting guitar lines and a drum performance that strikes with real authority, while the bass adds a low, grinding pulse beneath the main rhythm. The first two songs share a similar physical approach, so the arrival of "In Amber" gives the EP a broader emotional range. Its gradual build, larger chord shapes and melodic lead guitar create a more expansive song that never turns sentimental and retains the aggressive edge established earlier.
Brandon Goodair moves beyond the clipped crossover delivery here, showing greater vocal range and control, and Amaré Hurley answers with solos that add drama without dragging the song into excess. The contrast is useful, since three minutes of nonstop stomping would have made the EP far more predictable. "The Divine Art Of War" closes the release with measured riffing, controlled tempo changes and a disciplined final assault, ending the EP on its most severe rhythmic passage. Lucas Fletcher produced and mixed the release at Shell City Studios, shaping a sound that is heavy, detailed and separated enough for the bass, drums and layered guitars to remain distinct.
The snare has a hard crack, the kick drum stays present beneath the riffs, and the guitar tone has enough edge to retain the raw character of the songs. Fletcher also resists burying Harvey Lewis beneath the rhythm guitars, an important choice for music that depends so heavily on low end movement. The vocals sit forward in the mix and occasionally return to the same cadence, though the variation in guitar writing prevents the four songs from merging into one continuous pattern.
This debut is concise, aggressive and musically broader than its crossover tag may suggest, with "In Amber" offering the best evidence that Martyrs Saint can move beyond pit focused thrash and preserve their attack. The production has modern definition, the riffs arrive with authority, and the performances sound disciplined across every song. "From Strength To Strength" is a strong opening release from a young Bristol band, built on hard rhythm, capable lead guitar and enough variation to make its short running order count.
|8.0
Add comment
Comments