Thursday, June 20, 2013

Mammoth Grinder - Underworlds


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.

Be sure to check out and like Mammoth Grinder on Facebook!

Highlights
All of it

Final Rating
3.7/5 or 74%. 

Written by Scott