Est. June 1998

In June 1998, Martyr Music Group officially became a company, originally domiciled in New York City (my home at the time). I was working at another record label, as I usually had more than one job at a time, but since Martyr started out gradually it wasn't a problem. When I stopped working for Nuclear Blast America I decided to leave NYC and go back to my childhood home outside of Boston where I stayed for a couple of years before moving the company to Pittsburgh (but I get ahead of myself, don't I?) Here's the timeline in it's abbreviated form:

June 1998: Martyr Music Group, Inc. is formed, it's owners, back then were myself and my former partner Rob Smith. (Rob later left to devote his time and energy to his family who are the coolest). Rob brought Drained (Boston) into the picture and I brought with me from previous dealings, Broken Hope. Via Brian Griffin of Broken Hope, Em Sinfonia and Novembers Doom immediately followed and we (quite suddenly) had a four-band roster to start out with. (Probably the last time anything went that smoothly but that's okay)

1999-2000: We released Drained's "Suspension of Disbelief" CD, Broken Hope's "Grotesque Blessings", November's Doom "Of Sculptured Ivy and Stone Flowers" and Em Sinfonia's debut MCD "In Mourning's Symphony" which remains one of my favorite MMG releases to dateÉ

2001: Em Sinfonia, with a few personnel changes, went on to record their first full-length CD "Intimate Portrait".Penance comes into the big picture and "alpha & omega" is released. Licenses for Rebaelliun, Blood Red Throne, Sinister and Aeternus are signed for The Americas and Council of the Fallen is signed for a 2 album deal.

2002: Aeternus "Ascension of Terror" and Council of The Fallen "Revealing Damnation" are released. Penance's previously self-released CD "Proving Ground" is remixed, remastered and repackaged for an August release. Pittsburgh's Circle of Dead Children and Italy's How Like A Winter are signed.

2003: Early in the year How Like A Winter's debut CD "...beyond my grey wake" comes out and the response was simply phenomenal. The year continued with two other big releases for the label - Circle of Dead Children "Human Harvest" and Penance "Spiritualnatural". After months of chasing down the Pale Divine guys, they finally wrote some killer new doom riffs and signed aboard with me for their upcoming CD "Eternity Revealed". Lots of changes and hardships marked the music biz overall this year and we expanded a lot more agressively toward the merchandising side of things, now offering a wide variety of patches, jewelry, household decor, metaphysical and more... Later in the year an old friendship was strenghtened and it came to be that I would re-issue an awesome 10th anniversary special edition of CRISIS' debut full-length "8 Convulsions". The agreement for that was signed and the year closed with us moving our offices (and inventory-yuck!) yet again.

2004: This year I released CRISIS "8 Convulsions" and Pale Divine "Eternity Revealed". I also started my sister-company, Triquetra Media this year. I have branched out to offer a much more diversified product line, including patches and occult-based lifestyle items. I am always open to suggestions if you think there is something major missing from this site.

So that's it in a nutshell (so far). MMG is over 6 1/2 years old, 100% self-financed, independent and operated solely by me alone or me with a little help from my friends, on occasion. No bullshit. No smoke and mirrors hocus-pocus.The goals I set out to accomplish early on have been reached and I'm proud of my company just the way it is. Thanks to all who have supported me and mine in order to make this dream become a reality and hey, I did it MY way. (cue music)------ :-)

-Maria-