Chalk this album up as a slow burn waveriders. Not a slow burn in terms of the music. Oh no, no, no. This collection of tunes is nothing short of an explosion of high powered metal! No, when I say slow burn I mean that it has taken some time for these songs to grow on me to the point where I can recommend the album as a whole to anyone seeking an injection of unrestrained musical intensity. And for the record, I highly recommend Mutoid Man's Helium Head.
Before we go any further allow me to give you some background on the group. Mutoid Man began life as a two piece made up of guitarist Stephen Brodsky of Cave In fame jamming in a rehearsal space with drummer Ben Koller of Converge. Now I know there are many people out there who stopped reading after that last sentence. The invocation of those two musicians' names was all that was necessary to send them barreling down the information superhighway to buy this album. That's great! For the rest of you waveriders, allow me to continue. The band has a third member, bassist Nick Cageo. Together they create a gloriously unholy racket!
"Gnarcissist", the first track on the album, is hands down one of my favorite songs of recent memory. I fell in love with this song the instant I heard it. It's ridiculous how much energy courses through every element of this track! Monstrous guitar riffs, psychotically pummeling drums, and wickedly varied vocals. The craziest part is that there is never any letup over the course of the other six songs that make up the album. Every song ratchets up the musical intensity. Every song bombards the listener with ear-scorching metal. Sure there might be a slightly more mellow breakdown here and there, but all of them quickly get around to detonating their lethal sonic payloads. "Scavengers", "Sacriledge", "Scrape The Walls", "Friday The 13/8", "Lost In The Hive"? How about their cover of The Animals "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"? Take your pick folks. Each will lay waste to your eardrums in the best way imaginable!
Helium Head from Mutoid Man is a brilliant release! Don't miss out waveriders. Pick up your copy today!
--Penfold
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