By: Charlie Butler
Album Type: EP
Date Released: 16/09/2017
Label: Good to Die Records
Maximum Mad’s relentless riff generation makes for
an exhilarating ride reminiscent of mighty Florida Helmet enthusiasts Wrong, they
take the blueprint for dirty, riff-heavy racket from the 90s and 00s and wrench
it breathlessly into the present on debut EP “Dear Enemy
“Dear
Enemy” CS//DD
track listing:
1. Affluenza
2. Lucky Coward
3. Active Aggressive
4. Unmanned
5. Weird Hand
6. Obscene Gestures
The Review:
Portland / Vancouver (DC) quartet Maximum Mad
are the latest band to take the blueprint for dirty, riff-heavy racket from the
90s and 00s and wrench it breathlessly into the present on debut EP “Dear Enemy”. Like many of the current
glut of noise rock acts making their presence felt in the underground, their
lack of originality is rendered completely irrelevant by the sheer quality of
their sonic assault.
Maximum Mad’s relentless riff
generation makes for an exhilarating ride reminiscent of mighty Florida Helmet
enthusiasts Wrong.
This is particularly evident on “Unmanned”
where they also channel some of Torche’s thunderous pop majesty for
good measure.
Elsewhere,
the band deliver concise hits of churning Melvins-style grunge fury to great effect. “Affluenza” is the best example of this,
bolstered by a brief section of warped, reverb-heavy melody towards its climax
that brings to mind the much-missed These Arms Are Snakes. The sleazy groove of “Active Aggressive” shows Maximum Mad
are equally as effective at delivering lumbering menace as they are operating
at full throttle
Closer “Obscene Gestures” throws in a dose of
thrash into the mix which spices things up nicely. I like to think this is a
little nod to their highly entertaining fake Facebook bio where they describe
themselves as one of the most distinctive, influential and extreme thrash metal
bands of the 1980s.
“Dear Enemy” is a solid start for Maximum Mad. Hopefully it won’t
be long before they show the world what they are capable of across a full LP.
“Dear Enemy” is available here
