ALBUM REVIEW: Ancient VVisdom - "33"

By: Ernesto Aguilar

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 13/10/2017

Label: Argonauta Records (CD) |

Magic Bullet Records (DD) |

DHU Records (LP)

Like the morning star it praises, Ancient VVisdom is more deceptive than you realize. It heralds that section of the genre that is far darker than even the loudest bands while doing a style you don't recognize is nearly this cursed. "33" is going to live on for quite some time.

“33” CD//DD//LP track listing

1. Ascending Eternally

2. Light of Lucifer

3. In the Name of Satan

4. True Will

5. The Infernal One

6. Summoning Eternal Light

7. Rise Fallen Angel

8. 33

9. The Great Beast

10. Lux

11. Dispelling Darkness

The Review:

Metal music has since its dawn been preoccupied with the visage of Beelzebub. Whether it was Ozzy Osbourne conjuring the idea of Satan's love in "N.I.B." or mainstream heavy rock like Ghost calling out to the "old one, master," Satan has been that ultimate taboo in music. For metal, the Devil has also been the totem of rejecting all convention. And though there have been many incursions into popular culture, it would seem metal music's fixation with the sinister and demons may always be part.

So when a recording comes across that embodies some of that dark spirit, it almost feels like splitting hairs to argue how it qualifies as metal. In Ancient VVisdom's case, it indubitably does.

The Austin-based trio formed in 2009 and have three releases – 2011's "A Godlike Inferno”, 2013's "Deathlike" and 2014's "Sacrificial" – as well as a rather infamous 2010 split disc with incarcerated mass murderer Charles Manson on their resume. Its first full length in three years, "33," is alternately inspired by a variety of meanings for the number, including the birth year that Jesus Christ was crucified. The horrific vibe never quite goes away from there.

If you have not heard the group prior, Ancient VVisdom is metal in the first-wave death rock or the folkloric styles you may recall rose to prominence in metal in the early 2000s. "33" is thus largely rooted in acoustic music, without drum and sparing electric guitar. The focus of Ancient VVisdom is Nathan Opposition, vocalist and songwriter. He's crucial, because Ancient VVisdom is nothing if not a lyrical act whose songs and stories are its reason for being.

To be clear, Ancient VVisdom has magnificent instrumentation. Whether it is the guitar, synths or hints of percussion, the minimal nature of "33" means all of it has to count even more than the average band. However, Ancient VVisdom's Satanic verses drive the music for the most part. Indeed Nathan Opposition's vocals set up much of the art that is here. "Ascending Eternally" opens like a hymn, while "Light of Lucifer" begins the release smoothly out of that hymn into a chord that you might hear around the fire at a church's summer camp. However, this is no revival.

Songs like "Summoning Eternal Light" and "The Great Beast" musically deliver the crunch you might more expect from metal, whereas "Rise Fallen Angel" is Ancient VVisdom's closest foray into heavy rock. These selections and a handful of others are not ultraviolent songs. They're musically savvy, but as with other cuts, the imagery of the occult, Lucifer and the great unknown are the true canvas.

Like the morning star it praises, Ancient VVisdom is more deceptive than you realize. It heralds that section of the genre that is far darker than even the loudest bands while doing a style you don't recognize is nearly this cursed. "33" is going to live on for quite some time.

"33" is available digitally here, CD here and eventually on vinyl here

Band info: facebook || bandcamp

Sweet Cobra - 'Earth' (Album Review)

'Earth' will sit nicely in any collection and would add some melodic relief in between the usual tipple of sludge, doom, death metal and black metal. Brilliant.’

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 24/07/2015

Label: Magic Bullet Records

‘Earth’ CD//DD//LP track listing:

01. Far Too Temp
02. Future Ghosts
03. He Tall He
04. Complaints
05. Flight Risk
06. Sunburned Sons
07. Repo
08. Stiff Fits
09. Blue Rose
10. Jealous of Drugs
11. Old Haunts
12. Walls

Sweet Cobra is:

Jason Gagovski | drums and cymbals
Robert Arthur Lanham Jr. | guitar
Botchy Vasquez (aka Tim Remis) | vocals and bass

Review:

'Earth' is the fourth album from Chicago stalwarts Sweet Cobra and their first as a 3 piece. While being predominantly a post hardcore band, they do have their sludgier moments. To those unfamiliar with this band, think of what would happen if Torche and Hot Water Music decided to form a supergroup. 

The guitars that emulate from first track 'Far Too Temp' are fuzzy, scuzzy and filthy.  Energetic rawk ensues and a massive chorus will keep fans of the more melodic side of heavy music interested. This album was mixed by Kurt Ballou (and parts of it were recorded by him too) and it certainly shows as second track 'Future Ghosts' has that raw, Ballou feel to it. Robert Arthur Lanham Jr's guitars sound simple but intense as drummer Jason Gagovski pounds away with a straight forward d-beat to excellent effect for half of the song. 'He Tall He' focuses the energy, and hammers home the riff and rhythm. The melodic vocals of bassist/vocalist Timothy 'Botchy Vasquez' Remis are in fine form as 'Complaints' rips through the speakers. The guitars provide the album with a few moments of post metal, sounding a little like keyboards before the thick guitars play out the songs last minute or so while Remis sings "bombs away" a few times.

'Flight Risk' is a tad slower than any of the other songs and the almost shoegaze nature of the guitars keeps the album from being one dimensional in it's delivery. Sixth song 'Sunburned Sons' kicks off with a metallic riff and the head swingingly brilliant drum pattern and the crushing distortion make this song a personal highlight. Side 2 begins with 'Repo' which is just a brilliant track, say no more. The vocals are a truly unique feature of this band and this is evident on 'Stiff Fits' where Remis sings a very interesting melody throughout the verse and the rocking chorus. Again, the guitars are heavy as a fuzzy sledgehammer until the last 10 seconds where a sombre melody is picked. That bleeds nicely into 'Blue Rose', a catchy, melodic, bundle of raw energy which would be a great first single. Any misconceptions about this being a lightweight album are stripped away during the songs closing moments; the guitars are seriously heavy!

'Jealous of Drugs' is up next and is more melancholic in its vocal delivery. Some haunting overtones make this song the perfect companion to a cocaine come down or a brutal hangover...right up until the faster part kicks in and shakes the shit out of you. The drums of penultimate track 'Old Haunts' is reminiscent of some late 90's punk. You know the kind that would be featured on an Epitaph or Fat Wreck Chords release, The Swingin' Utters springs to mind. Finally 'Walls'; very Foo Fighters but that's my lazy journalistic reference, it's a lot better than the Foos! Vocalist Botchy is joined by his wife Elizabeth on backing vocals for this one and the harmonic contrast is beautifully crafted. The shimmering electric guitar sticks to the atmosphere while the sound of a plucked acoustic guitar ushers in the end of the album.

Sweet Cobra should be mentioned in the same breath as Torche and Baroness, possibly a referential point to someone who likes the Foo Fighters but wishes they were heavier and more hardcore. Their song writing has come on leaps and bounds since 2010's 'Mercy' which, while heavier in riff content, lacked the focused energy of this. 'Earth' will sit nicely in any collection and would add some melodic relief in between the usual tipple of sludge, doom, death metal and black metal. Brilliant.

Words by: Chris Bull

‘Earth’ is available here

For more information:

Like: http://www.facebook.com/sweetcobra
Listen: http://sweetcobra.bandcamp.com/

The Sludgelord News: SWEET COBRA: Chicago Outfit Signs With Magic Bullet Records For Anxiously Awaited Earth LP This Spring

Album Features Production & Inclusion From Matt Talbot of Hum And Kurt Ballou of Converge

Magic Bullet Records is ecstatic to announce the signing of Chicago-based SWEET COBRA for the release of their anxiously awaited new studio album, Earth, late this Spring. The band's triumphant new LP was recorded and produced by Matt Talbot of Hum and Kurt Ballou of Converge, and also features guest musical contributions from each artist. Earth is their first full-length recording since their lauded 2010-released Mercy.

Recording was completed in late 2013 with Matt Talbot (Hum) and Kurt Ballou (Converge) at Talbot's Earth Analog Studios near Champaign, Illinois, mixed by Ballou at his Godcity Studio in Salem, Massachusetts, and with final mastering by Carl Saff. Earth shows the band hungrier than ever, with the trusted and infectious ferocity fans will expect as well as a slick, more accessible approach.

Issued Magic Bullet Records owner Brent Eyestone on getting hooked by the material on Earth, even before its final mastering, "Holy hell... it's completely badass! Kind of a new sound for the band; catchier, and I can see the appeal of the sound being much broader than their previous output. I get similar feelings from the best Queens of the Stone Age, Quicksand, and Young Widows records... super catchy slabs of heaviness."

The members of SWEET COBRA collectively offered a humble statement on the signing with Magic Bullet and the upcoming release of Earth: "We are honored to be working with Magic Bullet and have always felt a kinship to the label and artists they release. Earth is a deeply personal album for us, and it was a liberating experience to explore new sounds and dynamics in these songs with Matt and Kurt at the helm capturing it."

Earth will see release late this Spring on multiple formats; stand by in the coming weeks for an official street date, additional insight and audio samples from the LP. Also watch for SWEET COBRA tour dates throughout the year, including an already sold-out show with Hum in Grand Rapids on April 25th.

SWEET COBRA Tour Dates:

3/27/2015 Drunken Donut - Joliet, IL

3/28/2015 Melody Inn - Indianapolis, IN w/ Kvlthammer

4/04/2015 The Burlington - Chicago, IL w/ Auxes

4/25/2015 Pyramid Scheme - Grand Rapids, MI w/ Hum, Cloakroom (SOLD OUT)

The dedication of its members and the band's storied lineage has helped make SWEET COBRA a household name to fans of bold rock and post-hardcore internationally, and a staple within the bustling music scene of their hometown of Chicago. Founded in 2003 by former members of a wide array of notable underground acts and boasting the fury and angular qualities of their hardcore/noise-rock/metal roots with a more straightforward rock rhythm and delivery, the band came into existence and toured alongside the likes of Pelican, Russian Circles, Coliseum, Black Cobra, Doomriders, The Life And Times, Young Widows and many more. SWEET COBRA toured regularly throughout the first decade of the 2000s, and released a crushing load of recorded material, including three LPs -- 2004's Praisethrough Seventh Rule Recordings, 2007's Forever through Hawthorne Street Records, and 2010'sMercy on Blackmarket Activities -- as well as split releases with Doomriders, Get Rad, and Young Widows among other releases.

In fall 2009, with Mercy just completed, second guitarist Mat Arluck lost his ongoing fight with cancer. Arluck's death left a deep scar on the entire Chicago music scene (and beyond). SWEET COBRA committed to soldier on as a three-piece, as they began, resulting in a transformation of the band in the following years. The members have pushed forward -- playing shows, constructing new material, and exploring new sounds. These efforts have culminated in the upcoming release of Earth.

SWEET COBRA:

Jason Gagovski - drums and cymbals

Robert Arthur Lanham Jr. - guitar

Botchy Vasquez (aka Tim Remis) - vocals and bass

http://www.facebook.com/sweetcobra

http://instagram.com/sweetcobraband/

http://sweetcobra.bandcamp.com/

http://www.magicbulletrecords.com
http://www.facebook.com/magicbulletrecords
http://twitter.com/magicbulletrecs

Source: Earsplit PR

Ancient VVisdom - Sacrificial (Album Review)

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 28/10/2014

Label: Magic Bullet Records

‘Sacrificial’ CD/DD/LP track listing:

1. Rise of an Ancient Evil
2. Chaos Will Reign
3. Blood Offering
4. Devils Work
5. Blind Leading The Blind
6. Worm Ridden Skull
7. I Am Your Sacrifice
8. City of Stone
9. We Are Damnation
10. Higher Into the Black Flames

Bio:

On Sacrificial, ANCIENT VVISDOM delivers ten tracks that continue to push the boundaries of both death rock and neo-folklore while retaining the memorable simplicity and melodic catchiness present on their previous, critically-lauded manifestations. Produced by founding vocalist Nathan Opposition, engineered by Travis Bonner at The Diamond Factory Studios in Austin and mastered by Paul Logus (Anthrax, Clutch, Hellyeah, Shadows Fall et al) at Taloowa Mastering in New York, Sacrificial fuses all the prime qualities of the likes of Black Sabbath, Metallica, and Quicksand, into a wholly anthemic album of dark and light.
 

Thematically, Sacrificial delves further into singer Nathan Opposition’s personal ascent into the unanticipated enlightenment of exploring humanity’s universal darkness. Whereas traditional lore dealing with the occult, paganism, and Satan tends to be heavy-handed (and often synonymous with a proverbial descent away from any sort of positive self-affirmation), Sacrificial spins a slant wherein “down” becomes “up.” In Opposition’s world, confronting one’s own demons and humanity’s primordial penchant toward chaos and destructive ritual will ultimately pass each seeker through a threshold unto which deeper knowledge, sage wisdom, and self-realization envelop one’s consciousness.
 

Comments Opposition, “Where there is chaos you will find us. Where there is disorder, others find discomfort yet I find salvation. Lead me not unto anything. I am my own. This album will enlighten the fools and give the enlightened something to listen to.”
 

Musically, Opposition and his brother, Michael the Dark Angel, continue to accomplish what countless musicians frustratingly attempt to conquer in their song writing: simple, memorable riffs and melodies that stand the test of time. Each hymn comprising Sacrificial is hummable and infectious. Like the best practitioners in any field, the brothers make it look and sound easy to the point where everyone listening thinks they can do it (spoiler alert: very few can ever do it). New addition Mitch Keith Morris wastes no time in making his mark on Sacrificial, channelling deep primitive and tribal percussive influences into the empowering sound that is unmistakably ANCIENT VVISDOM

Review:

The prolific Austin troupe Ancient VVisdom have just released their third album in as many years, entitled ‘Sacrificial’. 

If the first two Ancient VVisdom albums didn't float your boat, then 'Sacrificial' is unlikely to sway you. Yet fans that were sold on their brand of endtimes neo-folk will undoubtedly lap this up, as it contains all the hallmarks of what make Ancient VVisdom ace - post-AIC vocal melodies, anthemic choruses and dynamic song writing. Opener "Chaos Will Reign" is as good a song as they have written, and "Blood Offering" and "Worm Ridden Skull" have all of the hallmarks of classic heavy metal / hard rock, processed through a satanic-grunge filter. 

The obvious difference with 'Sacrificial' is that they have adopted a less folky, more electric approach. This manifests itself in two ways - traditional metal sludge-trudge in the aforementioned "Chaos Will Reign", and alt-rock-as-hell "The Devils Work". It works well for the music (indeed one might say branching out was what Ancient VVisdom needed to do) but there is less dual guitars than before, which makes things a bit more one dimensional.

In addition, one has to wonder how much longer they can go pondering such lyrical topics, as they haven’t really differed from their debut. Indeed, "Blind Leading the Blind" is pretty tiring and weak, and its message seems throwaway and pretentous. Yet Ancient VVisdom has accomplished another album of great hooks and infectious melodies, and their odd mixture of pop sensibilities and occult lyrics will not fade from memory any time soon. 

Words by: Jack Taylor

You can pick up a copy here

For more information:

http://www.facebook.com/AVVFB
http://www.magicbulletrecords.com
http://www.facebook.com/magicbulletrecords?fref=ts

Wormwood - S/T EP (Review)

Album Type: EP

Date Released: 14/10/2014

Label: Magic Bullet Records/Patac Records

‘Wormwood’ track listing:

1). Hollow Black Eyes (04:00)

2). Indoctrination (03:52)

3). I’d Rather Die (04:19)

4). White Plague (03:43)

5). Reprise (02:19)

Bio:

Couple old friends getting together to make heavy depressing/empowering racket. Pupecki also plays guitar in doomriders and Bevilacqua was their original drummer

The Band:

Chris Bevilacqua | Drums, percussion, various rackets.
Chris Pupecki | Guitars, bass, vox, noise

Review:

When I first started paying attention to a random track playing in the background, I thought for sure I was listening to Celtic Frost, what with that medium-paced trudge and those lovely processed vocals. When I began paying attention though, I found way more sludge than black metal and discovered this Boston band made up of current and former members Doomriders, Disappearer and Phantom Glue are set to drop their first release on PATAC Records and Magic Bullet Records. Simplistic, yet thick and deep, these guys have put out a seriously heavy and haunting record.

Driven by a bestial, hard-hitting mid-tempo grind and a distinctly unpolished, ugly, and bottomless bass rumble, the wheelhouse of this band is clearly the rhythm section. Above the maelstrom, the guitar alternates a discordant ooze with effect-laden sludge atmospherics and consistently unsettles you with brutally effective tritonal dissonance before spacing out in smooth doomed slow jam riff territory (sometimes within a single phrase).

In the length of 18 minutes and 5 tracks they will keep your head bobbing even as the groove wobbles and weaves in gruff almost-disharmony. Ragged feedback and thick-as-hell crunch, set the abysmal mood for the submerged hypnosis of the main riff in ‘Hollow Black Eyes’, which barely moves on the fretboard yet somehow feels liquid and mobile. The strange and phenomenal lead near the end howls with a curious sort of offset wavering/watery feel that matched the yawning void of the verse in a perfectly subtle way.

"Lies, raised on lies, condition your mind"

‘Indoctrination’ begins with the savage delivery of this elegaic motif, as it slows down the trudge into a plodding stomp. Authoritative lines "don't question it - obey" set atop a bass tone that is thunderous and sulphurous; almost slimy. ‘The Liar's Theme’ continues into ‘I'd Rather Die’, the midpoint on the record, as vocalist Chris Pupecki of Doomriders fame growls "I'd rather die than live a lie." Solid sentiment if a bit simplistic -which is a bit of a catchall thought on the EP as a whole as well, though I don't think it suffers from it.  If anything, the lack of complexity makes it more accessible and keeps it uncluttered.

For the last legit song before the outro/reprise slogs through 2 minutes of grimy noise-groove ambience, ‘White Plague’ amps out the impious Frost-veneration, setting off a modern tube-worshipping take on that proto-black metal sound that is fiendish in its stuttering heaviness. It never allows you to fall too far into a groove, keeping you on the edge of resolution as it lyrically "pushes further - further away."

Sometimes crushing, sometimes creeping, this piece reimagines a modernist ‘Morbid Tales’ for the -very- angry, whils being a whole lot more than simply derivative. It will take you back while it situates itself in the right now.

Words by: James Harris

This EP will be available Magic Bullet Records and Patac Records  

For more information:

https://patacrecords.bandcamp.com/album/wormwood

https://www.facebook.com/Wormwoodboston

Integrity - Systems Overload (A2/Orr+ Mix) (Album Review)

Album Type : Full Length

Date Released : 29/11/2013

Label : Magic Bullet Records/Organized Crime Records

SYSTEMS OVERLOAD (A2/Orr+ Mix), track listing :

01. Incarnate 365
02. No One
03. Systems Overload
04. Armenian Persecution
05. Grace of the Unholy
06. Forevers Horizon
07. Mediator
08. Salvation’s Malevolence
09. Fading Away
10. Jimson Isolation
11. The Screams
12. Search for Divinity
13. Unveiled Tomorrows

Bio :

One of the most vicious and iconic hardcore albums ever, Systems Overload was initially released by Victory Records in 1995, elevating INTEGRITY to a whole new level of international notoriety, yet due to rushed/confused mixing sessions, the final product bore a more modern metallic hardcore sound than the band intended. In 2012, former INTEGRITY guitarist Aaron Melnick and current guitarist Robert Orr collaboratively took on a mission to bring forth the true vision of Systems Overload LP forth. Unearthing the initial masters from the extensive recording sessions, the guitarists from two different eras of the band pulled elements of alternate takes of the songs to a new level, incorporating new contributions from both Melnick and Orr with lost solos and divebombs. The new mix showcases a much more organic and haphazardly raw side of this timeless album -- bearing fan favorites like the opening track “Incarnate 365,” the rabid “Armenian Persecution,” the plodding “Jimson Isolation” and the enduring title anthem -- the dark, visionary brutality of the initial recording is retained, but the band’s punk and Japanese hardcore influences erupt forth with new vitality, and includes liner notes from both Melnick and Orr on the process of putting the album together.

Magic Bullet will plague humanity with the CD issue of the A2/Orr+ mix of Systems Overload on November 29th, 2013. The release will come less than two months from the day INTEGRITY’s iconic lineup from the early-mid ‘90s, including the Systems Overload album, reunites for the first time in twenty years. Vocalist Dwid Hellion, bassist Leon Melnick, drummer Mark Konopka and guitaristsAaron Melnick and Chris Smith will also be joined by current INTEGRITY lead guitarist Robert Orr on stage at the A389 X Bash in Baltimore this January 17th and 18th in Baltimore, Maryland to perform an exclusive historic one-off set at the massive event. The Bash will also include special performances by Bloodlet, All Out War, Infest, Haymaker, Empire Of Rats, Noisem, Full Of Hell and many others

Review :

This is a somewhat interesting concept: original version of landmark hardcore album is released way back when by Victory (in the mists of 1995), gets rushed through mixing stages and turns out more metallic in nature than the band would have apparently liked. Last year a guitarist from that era (Aaron Melnick) teamed up with the current guitarist (Robert Orr) to dust off the original masters and to attempt to bring forth the true vision of what Integrity wanted when they recorded and then released 'Systems Overload'. They have also both added fresh and lost parts to the final product to enhance the way the album sounds.

And honestly, it sounds pretty fuckin' righteous.

NOTE: I am approaching this record from a virginal stance, so I can only give my opinion on this current rendition. But what a rendition it is. 'Incarnate 365' is a complete HxC ripper, overflowing with attitude and swagger. I love the degree of musicality that Integrity bring to the table for a hardcore band, as I have mentioned in past reviews of their stuff. Never stifled or uncreative, all of their stomp is peppered with real musicianship. Solos that will make your toes curl, and a dark side that lies beneath. This track in particular highlights all the fundamental things that make Integrity the bomb.

The bass on 'No One' is tremendous, layered on thick and lush. The guitars keep up the tempo too, and those drums are breakneck. They lock it down like pit-starting royalty here, and Dwid's vocals are some of the most impressive in the game. He has more heart than a butcher's back room.

'Armenian Persecution' shows off to some degree the lighter flair that the band can be famous for. Some nice 80s metal quality intro, with layered guitars and soloing. The production is raw enough throughout the record to keep it sharp where it should be, and on quieter moments it enhances the moody feel. The contrast between the two clashes on this cut when it explodes into life, just buzz saw riffs and off the hook aggression. Tremendous.

'Mediator' is mid-paced to start, and a great way to get any room moving. But it's purely warm up stuff, as it decides to angrily break its foot off in your ass with some vicious, lightning riffery. The truly old school beatdown at the end would surely be a dirty, sweaty spectacle to behold in a live setting (*adds 'watch Integrity' to bucket list*).

Like I said earlier, I can only comment on this latest version of 'Systems Overload'. I imagine that the original is killer, but I can only guess that this is an improvement. Very little here doesn't contribute to the whole, or make for anything less than essential listening for any fan of rugged and real hardcore. This is the way this record was meant to be, and you can hear the love and urgency in it every step of the way. If you're a fan of the original it'll be an interesting proposition, but if you're new to it then I cannot stress how much you need to hear this. Make it happen.

Words by : Matt Fitton

You can buy it here and here

For more  information :

https://www.facebook.com/INTEGRITY.HT
http://www.holyterror.com
http://www.magicbulletrecords.com
http://www.organizedcrimerecords.com
http://www.a389records.com

Mutoid Man - Helium Head EP (Review)

Album Type : EP

Date Released : 29/11/2013

Label : Magic Bullet Records

Helium Head, track listing :

1). Gnarcissist 02:32

2). Scavengers 02:48

3). Scrape the Walls 02:11

4). Friday the 13/8 02:38

5). Sacriledge 02:00

6). Lost in the Hive 02:13

7). The Manimals 02:29

Bio :

The energy these MUTOID MAN guysnaturally create when they jam-out is almost unspeakable. A jacked-up album firing on all cylinders as well as a few nitro tanks and rocket boosters opened to the max, Helium Head is like classic rock on bath salts and a case of energy bars. One envisions Brodsky’s hands literally combusting as prog-fueled rock leads and hammering riffs reduce speaker cabinets to smoldering piles, his soaring vocals carrying not just an appropriately harmonious clean edge but also bringing out some of that searing wrath only the earliest of Cave In’s catalog will document. And Koller’s ridiculously intense, rabid percussive attack is of course in top form, unstoppably up-tempo and plied with more textured fills than all of Interstate 95 in both directions.

“To come up with all this stuff, Ben and I riffed-out at a rehearsal space in Brooklyn for about a year” explains Stephen Brodsky. “The material picks up from where we left off with the Cave In Shapeshifter/Dead Already cassingle, written with Ben in the band. The two of us ran with that sound and formula and took it as far as we could go.”

The Band :

Stephen Brodsky

Ben Koller

Review :

There has been much fanfare surrounding Mutoid Man of late and deservedly so.  The band, made up of drum god and Converge sticks-man Ben Koller, Cave-In’s Stephen Brodsky and bassist Nick Cageo, have unleashed a propulsive, adrenaline fuelled and hook laden record with Helium Head.

Taking the kinetic energy of Converge and early Cave-in, the intricacies of 70’s prog and Torches pop-sensibility, Mutoid Man have crafted a record that refuses to let you go from the first track.

Throughout the album Brodsky treats us to a feast of off kilter and psychedelic riffage, whilst Koller tirelessly unleashes a whirlwind of percussion, never resting on his laurels for a second. Brodsky’s feral scream peppers the albums heavier moments while his unmistakable singing voice takes centre stage on the records hookier moments, reminding everyone that Cave-In should have been the biggest band on the planet in late 90’s and early 00’s.

Away from the conceptual and emotional shackles of their main bands, the most striking thing about Helium Head is how much fun the two main contributors seem to be having. Allowing their breakneck riffage and hook-tastic melodies to intertwine over the seven presented tracks leaves barely enough time to take breath or over-analyse the complicities of the music, allowing for maximum fun and also great replay value.

Make no mistake, Helium Head is a fantastic and well balanced effort, shining a light on a seldom scene side of two well-known veterans of the scene. Sit back, relax and let Mutoid Man taker you away to some place more fun. 

Words by : Richard Powley

You can buy it here

For more information :

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mutoid-Man/565982076754955
http://www.facebook.com/magicbulletrecords
https://twitter.com/magicbulletrecs

http://www.magicbulletrecords.com