Martyr - Hopeless Hopes

Digitally remixed and remastered 2026 edition. Hopeless Hopes is Martyr's legendary debut full-length album. Originally self-released in 1997, Hopeless Hopes changed the landscape of the technical Death Metal scene. From the onset of Hopeless Hopes, Martyr's penchant for creating intricate, meticulously written technical Death Metal is palpable. Tempo changes, melodic guitar leads, and dual harmonies are scattered throughout. Featuring band members aged between 17 and 23 at the time, Hopeless Hopes shines with creativity and exploration. It's no wonder that members here went on to play in other Canadian landmark bands such as Voivod, Gorguts, Despised Icon, Kataklysmeand many more. Guitarists Daniel Mongrain and Pier-Luc Lampron present a tight and vicious guitar tandem. They inject loads of variation and subtleties in their riffs, moving from blistering speed attacks to mid-paced standard crunching effectively, giving the album great dynamics. Bassist Francois Mongrain shreds underneath it all. Drummer Francois Richard accompanies the band perfectly.