Martyr is a power metal band from the Netherlands, established in 1982. The general public first became acquainted with Martyr in 1985, when the song "En Masse (Stand Or Die)" appeared on the compilation album "Metal Massacre VI" from the legendary American label Metal Blade. Other greats on this record included Possessed, Hallow's Eve, Dark Angel, The Obsessed, Hirax, Hades and Nasty Savage.
The debut album "For The Universe" from the same year is still considered a classic in heavy metal circles. Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives wrote "Martyr's songwriting is vastly superior to most of its competitors" about this album.
In 2014 the group was included on "Dutch Steel (80's Metal From The Netherlands)", showcasing Martyr's contribution to Dutch heavy metal history. The mayor of Martyr’s hometown of Utrecht, Jan van Zanen, also gave recognition. He sent the group a personal letter in 2018 to thank Martyr for their ambassadorship for the city.
The group frequently performs in Europe and beyond, either as headlining act or supporting bands such as Trivium, Iced Earth, Saxon, Raven, Flotsam & Jetsam, Lizzy Borden, Vicious Rumors, Evergrey and ex-Iron Maiden singers Paul Di'Anno and Blaze Bayley. Some highlights of Martyr’s career so far include their 3 very well recieved tours in Japan and an amazing adventure in India.
In 2022 Martyr released their latest album "Planet Metalhead" to great success. It was voted "Album Of The Year 2022" by Metalfan.nl. The album was released worldwide in collaboration with 5 other labels. Due to the great success of the record, Martyr switched to Rock Of Angels Records in early 2023, where Planet Metalhead has been re-released. 2025 will see the release of Martyr's 7th studio album and will feature many headline, festival and club shows in Europe and beyond.
