EP Review: Face Yourself – Martyr (Sumerian Records)

Transcontinental deathcore collective, Face Yourself will unleash their brand new EP Martyr on the 18th April via Sumerian Records.

Face Yourself are making a name for themselves in modern deathcore through their combination of emotionally vulnerable topics and lyrics, mixed with musical brutality. The band’s rise has been nothing short of meteoric, fuelled by their relentless work ethic and raw talent. Since their debut in 2023, Face Yourself has released three EPs in quick succession, racked up 6 million streams and 1.5 million YouTube views, and landed a nomination for Breakthrough Band of the Year at Nik Nocturnal’s Heavy Music Awards. Their addition to the Chaos & Carnage 2024 spring tour further cemented their status as a rising powerhouse in the deathcore scene.

Face Yourself has now joined forces with globally renowned Sumerian Records and bring us Martyr. A release that continues to showcase the band’s ability to blend sheer aggression with lyrical vulnerability, blending crushing breakdowns with haunting melody as they traverse the the fragile line between strength and vulnerability. 

Featuring members from New York, New Jersey, Colorado, and France, their unique sound is as diverse as their origins. Vocalist Yasmine Liverneaux brings her French influence and socially conscious themes into the mix, setting the band apart with an intensity and depth that’s rarely seen in the genre. Backed by Sumerian Records, and on Martyr, working with renowned producer Joey Sturgis (Asking Alexandria, Of Mice & Men, The Devil Wears Prada), Face Yourself look set to take over the world.

Face Yourself is Yasmine Liverneaux on vocals, Thomas Cardone on guitars, Corey Doremus on guitars and backing vocals, Dave Ricco on lead guitars, Kyle Muenzner on bass and backing vocals and Eric DiCarlo on drums.

Speaking on the upcoming EP, the band shares:

“Martyr explores struggles through difficult mental health battles. The lyrical content on the EP is based on vulnerability, and confronting your own demons. The record flirts between standing up for yourself, but also getting back to this dark place, as no one has a perfect linear mental health. Sometimes it takes a few trials to heal old wounds.”

Martyr gets underway with the song, Primal. It’s a short song – sub 2 minutes starting off with a bot of an introduction like spoken section before it drops into utter anarchy. It sounds, well, Primal, the viciously barked demonic vocals hit at pace over crunchy ‘core riffs and a bed of metallic drumming, electronica and bass slams. The use of very strong backing vocalists style, and the huge range of speed, tone, depth etc….of our lead vocalist really adds a lot here.. It’s a strong opener and a telling introduction to Face Yourself overall.

Predatory has a slightly greater reliance on electronic, or jungle style beats in it’s intro and bridges which I don’t always love, but the rest is fire. Plenty of switches in pace and power, that multi vocalist weapon and some really cool riffs and drum beats. There is a bit of a chorus going on here too that packs some deathcore groove as well as some nasty breakdown work. That’s only flattened slightly by every bridge needing to be bent through electronic/synth before starting.

The Poet has a lot more of the same but I feel the balance between the “traditional” instruments and the electronic work is better here. I really like the guitars and the higher pitched melody running through the background. The ups and downs in vocal tones, the switches between the astoundingly talented Yasmine Liverneaux and Corey Doremus/Kyle Muenzner really keep things fresh. It’s brutal stuff really, leaving no time to breath as it moves through speedy sections, into breakdowns, into heavy choruses all with constantly twisting and transforming vocals. Somehow in all of that organised chaos though, Face Yourself still manage to find plenty of catchiness and groove.

For catchiness, look no further than the next track, Saboteur. A song with passages of riffs and drums, with those demonic vocals, that will have you tapping your foot and moving your head. The chorus is cool with deeper vocals and the drums are absolute fire. We even get a bit of a solo at the end which I really like. It shows another weapon in the band’s arsenal as well as a bit of additional creativity and variety here on Martyr.

Sideration brings electronic stuff back in a big way, adding some pretty cool synth lines in the intro and verses. There, it works well with the riffs and creates a very unnerving and disconcerting sound. I do not like the use of an effect on those heavy vocals much though – it’s unnecessary as the vocals are so strong on there own, they don’t need to be messed with. Still, it’s just for a passage in a song that shows Face Yourself in very experimental mode. The extra use of the synth, some really distorted sections where the electronics and guitars appear to be spiralling into anarchy. It works in demonstrating the feelings and message the band want to deliver, it’s just not that pleasant to listen to. Maybe that was the point?

So much happens in this song, I think I need to listen to it again and again and again to really pick it apart and understand it’s place here on Martyr. Transitions into catchy beats and a bit of groove, then back into that electronic madness. A filthy breakdown full of fry screams, growls, gutturals and then a sudden blast of choirs (yes, choirs), before an orchestral synth line and some roars close us out. On a personal level, I could really do without the little spoken sections used here and there too though as after all that, the song ends and we hear someone say “good stuff, that’s all we have for now”. That really distracts from the song.

Martyr is a really short EP with 5 tracks but only about 13 minutes of music on it. That’s not a lot of playtime but credit to Face Yourself for making sure that what you do have here is fully packed out. You don’t feel shortchanged. It’s an EP that delivers massively in terms of emotional brutality and demonstrates a band full of ideas and certainly not short on talent. The vocals are excellent with a lead vocalist that demonstrates immense power, range and ability but also credit to the backing vocals who are the perfect balance with the leads. Powerful riffs and guitarwork generally, huge bass and immense drumming. All tools that should carry this band far.

There will always be a personal taste part with every band you ever listen to and there are elements here I don’t love, personally. The quite heavy use of electronica isn’t always to my taste. It’s about balance. For me, sometimes here the scales tip a little into “not my taste”. The thing is, even in the bits I question, they are fleeting moments surrounded by admirable quality . That makes it hard to dwell on them and I will definitely be spinning Marty again and again this year and recommending you all do too.

Track Listing:
1. Primal
2. Predatory
3. The Poet
4. Saboteur
5. Sideration

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