Mammoth Grinder is a type of super-group bands that, for me personally, are superior to the constituent members’ predominant bands. Off the highest of my head, bands like Black Curse and Stormkeep are different nice examples. Do not get me unsuitable, I’ve numerous respect for Energy Journey and the assorted different originating outfits of this band. However one thing about Mammoth Grinder‘s tackle excessive music simply pulls collectively the fitting threads to weave a wonderful sonic tapestry. And that is particularly evident on the band’s new EP, Timeless Spectral Resonance.
Whereas a number of the band’s earlier efforts extra conspicuously displayed their hardcore roots, this EP utterly subsumes that spirit right into a purely metallic expertise. Apparently the band put numerous effort into shaping their imaginative and prescient right here, as mainman Chris Ulsh notes: “On all our different information, I used to be sad with the earlier one and there was stuff that I needed to vary. This time, I knew what the band ought to sound like. However largely, I believe I used to be attempting to show to myself that I might nonetheless write one thing that was nasty, that I assumed was sick, punky loss of life steel.”
From the very outset, you may inform there’s one thing totally different about this launch. Apparently Demigod was an enormous affect on them this time round, and you may undoubtedly hear that come via together with echoes of Dismember, Asphyx, and different loss of life steel staples. Nonetheless, there’s just a few different parts at play within the opening monitor “Corpse of Divinant.” In line with Ulsh: “The bridge riff was tremendous impressed by the US black steel band Demoncy. It’s form of jarring, but it surely’s my favourite half.” Go to the 1:38 mark and you may hear it immediately. So DAMN GOOD. Do extra of this!
Likewise, the brutal simplicity of the title monitor remembers the ferocity of Bestial Devastation and Morbid Visions-era Sepultura, whereas the monitor’s energy has refined notes of Bolt Thrower combined in as effectively. It is an actual crusher, and the rationale you go to a band like this.
After an eerie and cinematic interlude monitor now we have “Lower The Peace” (heh, cool title). This one turns up the stomp-and-groove issue, with guitar tones that recall peak-era Entombed at their slower moments whereas delivering the ability of bands like Jungle Rot, Vader, and Obituary. I suppose this track most-closely evokes the superior art work; the demonic beast rising out of his lair to feast upon the harmless!
Lastly, the band presents us with “Obsessed With Dying,” maybe probably the most energizing monitor on the discharge. Relating to fashionable, straighforward loss of life steel, you would be onerous pressed to discover a finer instance than this rousing quantity.
The one disappointing factor in regards to the launch is that it is solely an EP. The band does such a unbelievable job right here that it leaves me wanting extra. However I suppose that is an important marker of success as effectively. The band is completely on the fitting path with this method and will proceed leaning into influences like Demigod and Demoncy because the proceed to push their sound ahead. Extra of the identical, please.