Mammoth Grinder is a type of super-group bands that, for me personally, are superior to the constituent members’ foremost bands. Off the highest of my head, bands like Black Curse and Stormkeep are different nice examples. Do not get me mistaken, I’ve loads of respect for Energy Journey and the varied different originating outfits of this band. However one thing about Mammoth Grinder‘s tackle excessive music simply pulls collectively the correct threads to weave a superb 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 fully subsumes that spirit right into a purely metallic expertise. Apparently the band put loads of effort into shaping their imaginative and prescient right here, as mainman Chris Ulsh notes: “On all our different data, 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 feel I used to be attempting to show to myself that I may nonetheless write one thing that was nasty, that I believed was sick, punky dying steel.”
From the very outset, you’ll be able to inform there’s one thing totally different about this launch. Apparently Demigod was an enormous affect on them this time round, and you may positively hear that come by way of together with echoes of Dismember, Asphyx, and different dying steel staples. Nonetheless, there’s a couple of different components at play within the opening observe “Corpse of Divinant.” In accordance with Ulsh: “The bridge riff was tremendous impressed by the US black steel band Demoncy. It’s form of jarring, however it’s my favourite half.” Go to the 1:38 mark and you may hear it straight away. So DAMN GOOD. Do extra of this!
Likewise, the brutal simplicity of the title observe recollects the ferocity of Bestial Devastation and Morbid Visions-era Sepultura, whereas the observe’s energy has delicate notes of Bolt Thrower blended in as effectively. It is an actual crusher, and the explanation you go to a band like this.
After an eerie and cinematic interlude observe we’ve got “Lower The Peace” (heh, cool identify). 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 paintings; the demonic beast rising out of his lair to feast upon the harmless!
Lastly, the band presents us with “Obsessed With Dying,” maybe essentially the most energizing observe on the discharge. On the subject of trendy, straighforward dying steel, you would be laborious pressed to discover a finer instance than this rousing quantity.
The one disappointing factor concerning the launch is that it is solely an EP. The band does such a incredible job right here that it leaves me wanting extra. However I suppose that is an amazing marker of success as effectively. The band is totally on the correct path with this strategy and will proceed leaning into influences like Demigod and Demoncy because the proceed to push their sound ahead. Extra of the identical, please.