EP REVIEW: Mothman And The Thunderbirds vs World Eaters – Mothman And The Thunderbirds & World Eaters

October 25, 2022 Jack Butler-Terry

In the red corner, representing Philadelphia, playing a hybrid of sludge, stoner and nu-metal, is MOTHMAN AND THE THUNDERBIRDS. In the blue corner, hailing from Ontario and bringing their brand of death metal to the ring, is WORLD EATERS. The ring for this bout is a split four-track EP where each side lands a pair of heavy blows. Let’s get ready to rumble.

First blood goes to MOTHMAN AND THE THUNDERBIRDS, whose eclectic ways are best illustrated on Rusty Shackleford. What starts out as a gruff and brooding sludge number opens into a massive, mysterious hook of “You can’t find me / If I don’t know who I am“. Along the way, the song picks up a pinch of bendy PRIMUS groove infused with CKY riffs, making for a heady combination all around. The gloves really come off for Nephilim, which is the duo’s heavier song of the two. Non stop brutish riffs and gang vocals, it’s an infectious number that let’s them sign off in style for this EP.

Then it’s WORLD EATERS‘ turn, and they’ve brought a far more imposing arsenal to this fight. Their blackened death metal may account for half of the tracks, but the runtime hits two-thirds of the EP, with their song The Siege running longer than both of MOTHMAN AND THE THUNDERBIRDS‘ songs combined. Flash Of Green shows a band that relies more on atmosphere which is built here through hellish, dystopian spoken sections and a stripped back electronic pulse that explodes into a full band frenzy. The payout comes in the form of repeated roars of “rip and tear“, which is apt enough as the trio’s ferocity lands like both edges of a machete.

It’s tough to call a winner in this battle as the two bands bring such different styles to the table, but neither side is pulling any punches. It’s an odd combo of bands to share a split EP, but it’s an enthralling 18 minutes of solid riffs and roars. What’s not to like?

Rating: 7/10