I have to admit that I’m new to Mammoth Grinder. Though the
band seems to have built up a decent following, I’d honestly never heard of
them until recently. From what I gather, the band’s sound has changed a bit
over the years, but on the band’s third record, “Underworlds”, it is firmly
planted in death metal. The first thing you’ll notice about this record is that
it’s short. Mammoth Grinder doesn’t mess around, as the second the record kicks
off, you are thrust into a vortex of riffs. Most of the riffs vary between
being a typical fast tremolo-picked pattern, or a more mid-paced power chord
strumming section. The guitars have an unbelievably heavy, sludgy sound to them.
Seriously, the guitar tone on this record is beyond crushing. Much to my
surprise, “Underworlds” is filled with guitar solos. The solos, while not
overly technical, provide a short burst of energy, not unlike the purpose of
the songs themselves. This is a huge plus in my book as it prevents the record
from being devoid of any notes played on the top 3 strings.
The vocals are another pleasant surprise. They are a fantastic
combination between the expected guttural death metal vocals, and a more
thrash-like shout. It is not so much the quality of the vocals that makes them
great, but how they perfectly compliment the ominously heavy guitars. Aside
from the instrumentation, this record is really one that is more about the
journey than the songs themselves. Nothing stands out as particularly
memorable; however, it’s not really an issue on “Underworlds”. When an album is
as succinct as this is, it’s really easy to throw on and enjoy rather than
waiting for those two or three songs that better than the rest. Overall, this
is a very satisfying album. Though it might not be my preferred favourite style
of music, there is no doubt that “Underworlds” is a well-written record for the
sound it is going after.
Highlights
All of it
Final Rating
3.7/5 or 74%.