Mutoid Man - Mutants

2023-07-28 07:00:00

A proud six years following “War Moans” are in the works Mutoid Man finally back. The trio around Stephen Brodsky (among others Cave In) and Ben Koller (amongst others Converge) was by no means idle. They toured diligently, devoted themselves to various other bands, had to cope with a departure on the bass and also lost themselves through pandemic distancing. Meanwhile, all barriers have been cleared, and Jeff Matz (including High On Fire) now completes the line-up. On “Mutants” the metallic-chaotic celebrities are back in their best form.

With the opening “Call Of The Void” the newly formed trio shows quite impressively that they haven’t forgotten anything. On the contrary, the unbelievably broken guitar, the high tempo with punk and core influences and Stephen Brodsky in top form stomp a hectic, over-the-top four-minute animal with an anthemic chorus out of the ground, rock-hard and catchy at the same time. In comparison, “Frozen Hearts” seems lovely at first, but the hoped-for and expected double bottom quickly appears. Koller dissects the kit in the style of the main band, a bit of math chaos resonates alongside thrash vigor and rock madness. The completely insane, alienated solo completes this breakwater.

Equally broken is “Siphon,” which aims to break speed records in three minutes, pairing chaotic hardcore wisdom with larger-than-life vocal melodies while benefiting from fresh High On Fire synergies whose malevolence with sludge undertones fit perfectly into the mix. Too strenuous? Then the concluding “Setting Sun” remedy. Yes, Mutoid Man are turning the wheel here too, but they skilfully dose such digressions in the midst of a prog, versatile mini-epic. “Unborn” also likes it a bit more expansive and extensive, always close to complete collapse. Roasting groove wisdom, brisk intermediate sprints, even a small drum solo somehow come together.

Of course, Mutoid Man is still extremely chaotic and explosive – anything else would have been a surprise given the musicians involved. At the same time, “Mutants” is probably their best record to date, as it offers consistently high quality, fresh ideas and also the intensity of Jeff Matz, who seems like a kind of missing piece in the US trio’s sound. The long wait was worth it: the nervous throb of the neck, gentle subtle melodies land better than ever.

Rating: 8/10

Available from: 07/28/2023
Available through: Sargent House (Cargo Records)

Website: mutoidman.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mutoidman