ALBUM REVIEW: Cosmic Crypt – Mammoth Grinder
Cosmic Crypt marks MAMMOTH GRINDER‘s fourth studio effort, their first since 2013’s Underworlds. The trio are completed by Chris Ulsh, Mark Bronzino and Ryan Parrish of POWER TRIP, IRON REAGAN and (formerly) DARKEST HOUR, respectively. In essence, they are the super-group you never knew you wanted, nor needed. On previous records, MAMMOTH GRINDER have boasted a heavily punk influenced, meat-and-potatoes death metal, sitting comfortably within the spectrum of extremity in the sub-genre. They never slow it down often enough to sit with the uber sludgy, doom-y bands and similarly, their four records boast very few flashes of extreme speed. Rather, they’ve become a somewhat unique proposition in a largely one dimensional sub-genre, aided to no end by their rhythm section. So, where does Cosmic Crypt find the band in 2018?
Needless to say, as soon as opener Grimmenstein kicks in (and I mean kicks with two feet) it seems we’re in for a fourth helping of mammoth grinding goodness. As ever with this band, the production suits them down to the ground. The drums and guitars have this unquantifiable depth that makes it sound like it’s emanating from the very depths of hell. This, coupled with the reverb drenched vocals of Chris Ulsh really makes for a potently grim, dark atmosphere. Across the record, the production shares an unspoken bond with the POWER TRIP‘s Nightmare Logic though this is where the similarities end.
The track that sticks out the most on this record is definitely Superior Firepower for essentially wrapping up all the elements across the album with its most memorable riff; the one riff on here that you’ll really find lodged in your cranium. The punishing opener to Locust’s Nest too is one that hits just as hard upon every consecutive listen. Later on in the track, the band introduce a vividly evocative guitar line, bringing to mind swarms of winged insects that sound, quite detestably, as if they’re about to escape the speakers, once again proving this is not an album for the squeamish. Rotting Robes also boasts its own flair on what is a fairly one-flavoured record as it showcases brilliantly Mammoth’s dalliance with half-time riffage. It only lasts for a very brief few bars but it serves as a respite from the pummelling pace book-ending the passage.
It would probably be a bit more professional at this point to name-drop a other few key tracks and highlights of the record but genuinely, if you’re a fan of the singles or indeed, have ever been a fan of the band, Cosmic Crypt will be no challenge. There is very little variation between the tracks, usually for better than for worse. You’d be incredibly misguided if you were coming into this record for a multi-faceted approach on death metal. While it’s true that the pogo-like, one-two drumming pattern between the kick and the snare on the record makes Cosmic Crypt weirdly one of the danciest death metal albums in recent memory, there’s little here to entice new listeners into extreme metal. It’s very much an album for the converted.
Unlike many of its counterparts is that, with this album being the hunky slab of death metal that it is, it lends itself perfectly to playing really loud when bombing down the street. It doesn’t matter where you drop in or out, Cosmic Crypt slays from cover to cover. Anywhere you care to put yourself in this album, you’ll find yourself immersed in a hellish, yet familiar mire of chunky, groovy and ultimately, really enjoyable death metal.
It’s really easy to enjoy this album for what it is. If you were to advise the band on where they go from here, more development from this record is what would probably come to mind. While Cosmic Crypt is an exciting release with positives heavily outweighing any negatives, it definitely feels like the perfect bedrock to build an even greater album on. In adding more to their pallet, MAMMOTH GRINDER could have a potential barn-stormer in them. For now though, enjoy Cosmic Crypt‘s irresistible charm while it’s fresh.
Rating: 7/10
Cosmic Crypt is out now on Relapse Records.
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