TRACK BY TRACK: The Last Martyr Release Blistering New EP ‘Requiem’

Purveyors of all things heavy, Naarm/Melbourne outfit The Last Martyr have today shared their latest EP, Requiem, with the world.

Describing the seven-track EP as a “story about the human species’ journey toward the apocalypse”, it’s a raucous, visceral, and at times confronting listen that is designed to let the listener feel something vital and cinematic.

Touching on themes of denial, love, fear, and destruction, it’s an all-encompassing release with an impressively-constructed narrative flowing throughout each of the tracks.

Alongside the release of the EP, vocalist Monica Strut has shared a track-by-track breakdown of each of the songs, going into detail about its creation, its recording, and the inspiration behind each chapter of the grander narrative.

With the EP released today, Wednesday, October 23rd, The Last Martyr will also play a pair of launch shows for Requiem next month, with a hometown show at The Workers Club in Melbourne on Friday, November 8th, before travelling to Sydney to perform at the Burderkin Hotel on Friday, November 15th. Tickets to both shows are on sale now.

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Requiem (noun): 

• (especially in the Roman Catholic Church) a Mass for the repose of the souls of the dead – "a requiem was held for the dead queen"

• a musical composition setting parts of a requiem Mass, or of a similar character – "Fauré's Requiem"

• an act or token of remembrance – "he designed the epic as a requiem for his wife"

The Requiem EP is a story about the human species’ journey toward the apocalypse. It touches on denial, destruction, control, fear, love and more. Our setting to write this body of work was a beach-side Airbnb in the Mornington Peninsula where we stayed with our producer, Chris Lalic (Windwaker, Days Like These) for a week.

Usually, we’re hustling to squeeze writing and recording in over a weekend and around other commitments. So to have the time and space to focus on music for a week was a rare luxury and one we think produced our best work to date. The trip couldn't have been more perfectly timed. In the months prior we'd had a few rough blows as a band and morale was kinda low. 

Each day we’d wake up, grab coffees from the local cafe and settle into a full day of writing and pre-pro. We all had our own workstations where we could develop ideas alone or in smaller groups and I’d often go for beach walks brainstorming lyrics as I blasted any new demos in my ears. Vin would cook for us and each day ended with red wine and Mario Party. It was exactly what we needed to get us back on our game and whenever I listen to the EP I’m transported fondly back to that moment in time.

01. Xenox

The beginning of the end. As the Requiem EP commences we’re in a state of denial doing anything to avoid confronting our impending doom. When Ben and Ricky showed us this demo, we knew the upbeat vibe would be the perfect first track. We spent a fair amount of time trying to turn it into a full song but it soon became clear that a hype intro is what Xenox was destined to become.

02. Antidote

When the world makes you sick, love is the antidote. The media feeds us negativity constantly and it’s tricky because our brains are hardwired to absorb more bad news than good. But love triumphs over all and so long as we can surrender, it can be a safe oasis within a dystopian land. There is something hopeful about Antidote.

03. Requiem (feat. Daniel Cullen-Richards)

A toxic relationship between humans and the earth, Requiem was the final song written for the record and was created to reflect the journey of the EP as a whole – hence why it's the title track. Guest vocalist Daniel Cullen-Richards (Alt.) sings from the human’s perspective shifting blame before trying to bargain for a redo. But of course, that is impossible. Mother Nature is loving but she is also vengeful, and in the end, she fights back to restore balance.

At the same time I sent Dan the demo lyrics for Requiem, he was writing a song about the exact topic. To make matters even stranger, some of our lyrics were the same – guess it was meant to be!

04. The Nihilist (feat. Rivilin)

In dire times humans will cling to something – anything – to feel a sense of control; This is precisely how and why cults are born. This X-rated track explores the notion of control and relinquishing that control in a dom/sub dynamic. My parts are from the perspective of a cult leader luring in new followers with the promise of salvation. Rivilin’s vocals were written from the victim’s point of view as he embarks on an initiation ritual whereby a new order is inscribed into his skin. 

The Nihilist was the first song written electronics-first as opposed to guitars first. Ricky showed us the demo a few days into our week away and it hit hard immediately. I remember going back to my room to write a screamy chorus that would be fun for the audience to shout along to and it's definitely turned out to be a fun one to play live.

05. Critical Mass

The crossroads or crux. Humans are forced to repent for their sins, but deep down they still don’t comprehend the extent of what they’ve done. In any relationship, sometimes we need to fall on our sword to keep the peace and Critical Mass is about doing so with gritted teeth. This was one of the heavier demos Ben and Ricky brought to the table to work on and one of the fastest to come together which is always a good sign! 

It’s got some Rammstein flavouring and I can’t wait to get everyone pumping their fists in the air to this track.

06. Burn It Down

A feminist anthem that speaks to the crimes humans have committed against one another. Much destruction has been caused by patriarchal leadership, greed and capitalism. Burn It Down particularly touches upon the overturning of Roe v. Wade which was devastating and unnerving to witness. Our lack of respect for women and birthing people is reflective of the way we have lost connection with one another, Mother Nature and the universe at large.

In the context of the song as a stand-alone work, it’s a rally cry to burn down the systems of oppression that have been set up by the patriarchy. But in the context of the EP's story, this is the moment Earth has now been destroyed.

07. Venus Retrograde

A song about separation, and finding the strength to leave a relationship when your paths no longer align, even if there is still love between you – this is now the case for humans and the Earth. A Venus retrograde occurs when Venus – the planet of love and relationships – appears to be moving backward in the sky from the perspective of Earth. It’s not physically moving backwards, it only seems that way due to the positioning of the two planets. Much like the moon controls the tides, this energy shift can trigger us to reassess our relationship with others and ourselves and explore what we truly want.

Another track created electronics and vocals first, as the lyrics poured out I visualised floating through the stars tethered to a spacecraft in search of new lands. Though it’s one of the easier songs to sing, it’s one of the hardest emotionally. I can barely listen to this song without bawling my eyes out, which made approving mixes and masters sorta difficult! But we’ve been playing it live the last few shows handing out glowsticks and it’s definitely a mood.

We never find out if the character ends up leaving their perceived safety, but one can hope that they do find the courage to leap towards happiness and fulfilment in their new world.

The Last Martyr’s Requiem is out now.