ALBUM REVIEW: Violent Theatre – Mephistofeles
Hailing from Argentina and putting the Satan into satanic panic with a plethora of mind bending drugs in their system, the ball busting power trio that make up MEPHISTOFELES offer up a dingy and grimy dose of demonic riffs that are shrouded with the sweet haze of the Devil’s lettuce. Channelling all things satanic, ritualistic and cultic, Violent Theatre is the latest Luciferian offering to sit alongside their dark and demonic back catalogue. Ramping up the energy, this is MEPHISTOFELES going all out and holding nothing back, launching themselves and the unsuspecting listener into the deep, cavernous underworld of ritualistic doom. Shrouded in darkness, the Argentine trio unleash their fun side with a devilish smile on their face.
One thing that is immediately apparent from the opening riff is that Violent Theatre has an attitude, a confident swagger that comes from unflinching confidence in the power of its riffs. MEPHISTOFELES have a ridiculously fuzz-drenched feast of mammoth SABBATH-esque riffs for you to gorge on in the nostalgic and hazy rooms of the grimy abode that the band have built. There is a real spit and sawdust, grimy bar basement vibe to Violent Theatre that many will relish; the intoxicating old school grooves lock you into a bewitching cycle of push and pull dynamics, as the squealing guitar solos disorientate you by swirling around your head. With ear-splitting feedback, fuzzy drones and occasional snippets of choral voices, there is an inherently tense atmosphere to go along with the relentless disorientation. With the added charm of the raw, rough round the edges recording, MEPHISTOFELES have gone back to their grubby, grimy stoner doom roots, dug them up, replanted them in a casket shaped raised bed and given them a new lease on life in the process.
Overall, Violent Theatre doesn’t tread any new ground or push the boundaries of the genre, but what it does get right, it gets incredibly right. From the chunky, beefed-up bass tone to the crazy vocals, it has everything you need for a pure stoner doom experience. You can smell the marijuana from a mile away, you can hear the screech of the church mums panicking for the souls of their children, and you can see the glazed over, thousand yard, red-eyed stare of someone completely spaced out. It’s an album that feels dangerous and rebellious, which is quite refreshing to experience, something that you know if you had as a kid would be that one CD that you hid from your parents. However, it can be argued that that can also restrict its wider appeal and keep it underground. While MEPHISTOFELES have gone to considerable lengths to make themselves sound bigger and better than ever, it could be argued that there is nothing makes it stand out to the uninitiated, despite having some awesome creative mixing like the crazy panning on the 14-minute juggernaut Communion Of The Vile. Ultimately this is all part of the album’s charm.
Kicking off the demonic ceremony is the ominously introduced but ultimately big-riffed Buried In Worms. Eerie chants fade into a hefty riff that is reminiscent of the Master Of Reality era of BLACK SABBATH – deliciously retro sounding with some vintage fuzz. Frustrated ups the ante with a fast-paced, bass-led riff that thunders into your ear drums and splits your skull – an all out punky stoner song with the ability to make you instantly head bang. The Meaning Of All Evil is a brooding, menacing track with a groove that pushes and pulls effortlessly; the ascending and descending riffs alongside the crazy screeching simultaneously disorientate you as you exist in their shadowy atmosphere.
Chapel Sins employs some chilling reversed choral vocals before launching into a haunting song that sounds like it is summoning demons with its solo. Die In Vein follows a similar format to Buried In Worms, with continuous grooves and slippery descending riffs that feel at home in a dingy basement with flickering lights. Communion Of The Vile is the most experimental song on the album – 14 minutes of pure grungy riffing with ear-splitting feedback looks and a ridiculously mixed drum solo that fries your mind. Last Will and album closer Damnation Or Salvation? provide the final flourishes with soaring solos and epic doom-infused passages. These last two songs are heavy, snarling tracks that give you one last punch in the gut before the band return to the shadows from whence they came.
It’s not a revolutionary album by any means, but Violent Theatre is one of those albums that gives you some great riffs and a heavy dose of nostalgia. You can rekindle the rebelliousness of your youth with MEPHISTOFELES and get absorbed in their devilish fun, as the Argentine trio are definitely here for a good time and not for a long time.
Rating: 7/10
Violent Theatre is set for release on CD and cassette on December 9th, and on vinyl on January 27th, via Helter Skelter Productions / Regain Records.
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