Track Review: “A Martyr’s Fortune” by Disrupt The Cycle

It has been a long and winding left hand path that has taken Wayne Hudspath from playing a vital role as the vocalist in both Nightshade and subsequently As They Sleep to being a multi instrumentalist that is writing and recording high quality Melodic Death Metal in his own right. Having released a debut EP titled “King Of The Rats” less than six weeks ago that was years in a making, a new single from the Lebanon Tennessee musician’s project Disrupt The Cycle was the last thing we expected. Maybe he’s forgotten what sleep looks like but if you want to go somewhere then it takes dedication.

Remember the Adult Swim animated television series Metalocalypse that featured a fictional Melodic Death Metal band called Dethklok? Well if you do, then you’ll hear the vibes of that within the confines of “A Martyr’s Fortune“, as Hudspath builds on the sound of the aforementioned debut EP with something that feels a little more polished. Accompanied by a hilarious DIY or DIE music video that tells a story visually, the track is actually lyrically far more of a vicious little ditty than you might realise. A song with a name, it’s a cathartic vent which clearly has a back story about something that a project that turned sour and Hudspath takes that fuel an injects it into his vocal performance to great affect. As with the EP tracks, the riffs here are slick with a decent guitar tone but the noticeable improvement comes with the drum sound. Driving the tune forward with metronomic power, while they’re still programmed, the rough edges have been sanded down so they feel less harsh. If there are any flat cymbal hits then they’re not noticeable thanks to an improved mix. Vocally, Hudspath’s uncleans are as aggressive as ever with plenty of bite but clean enough that you can understand the lyrics perfectly, something that’s vital in the listener making the tune their own. A powerhouse return, this one really does bode well for his future burnt offerings, it’s going to be interesting to see what he churns out next [8/10]

“A Martyr’s Fortune” by Disrupt The Cycle was released on 22nd February 2024 and is available over at bandcamp