Maranatha - 'Filth' (Album Review)

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 24/07/2015

Label: New American Records

The guitar tone and flashes of grind and death metal bring to mind the likes of Trap Them and Black Breath while the bare drums and vocals intro of “Despair” echoes the unbridled aggression of the mighty Coalesce. “Filth” is an LP which delivers on its title. Maranatha deal in strong, no-frills brutality and I look forward to seeing how they develop over future releases.

‘Filth’ CD//DD track listing:

1). Despair

2). Heroes

3). Patriarch

4). Violet

5). Numb

6). Oppressive/Depressive

7). Black Eyes

8). Stigmata

9). Cancer

10). Misotheist

Maranatha is:

Jack Huston | Bass, vocals

Collin Simula | Vocals, guitars, drums

The Review

Maranatha make a hell of a racket for a duo. I’d listened to the pulverising sonic assault of “Filth” a number of times with no idea only two people were responsible. This only adds to the charm of the Columbus band’s debut.

They peddle a captivating brand of crusty, metallic hardcore enriched with a healthy dose of riffage dredged from the swamps of New Orleans. The guitar tone and flashes of grind and death metal bring to mind the likes of Trap Them and Black Breath while the bare drums and vocals intro of “Despair” echoes the unbridled aggression of the mighty Coalesce. There’s no hiding the obvious influences here (there’s a definite air of Converge’s “Hellbound” to the intro of “Stigmata”) but Maranatha bring them together with an undeniable infectious energy. They also bring their hardcore influences to the fore more than some of their peers.

The conclusions to “Numb” and “Cancer” deliver particularly strong examples of chug heavy breakdowns, precision engineered to incite maximum pit carnage.  Another element that enhances Maranatha’s impact on the listener is the vocal delivery. Every word can be heard distinctly at no detriment to their harsh attack. The likes of “Oppressive/Depressive’ hit even harder when the powerful lyrics cannot be ignored.

The album ends with “Misotheist”, a seven minute instrumental that takes the bands sludgiest riffs and sets them against a backdrop of post metal dynamics. This is a cool track but it took me a long time to decide whether it worked as a conclusion to the record or if it jars after nine tracks of unrelenting fury. I finally came to the decision that it just about works.  However you feel about it though, it definitely offers a glimpse of exciting sonic possibilities for the band if they can meld this style to their trademark crunch.

“Filth” is an LP which delivers on its title. Maranatha deal in strong, no-frills brutality and I look forward to seeing how they develop over future releases.

‘Filth’ is available here

FFO: Grim Van Doom, Converge, Coaslesce, Crowbar

Band info:  Bandcamp | facebook