ALBUM REVIEW: Mob Justice – Vulvodynia
VULVODYNIA have worked hard to establish themselves the way they have. Being one of the most internationally popular bands in the brutal death metal scene, VULVODYNIA have been at the forefront of the modern evolution of slamming deathcore and brutal death metal. After a tremendously successful international tour, the South African natives have dropped their latest album Mob Justice in what seems to be a genuine attempt at bridging the gap between so many conflicting genres.
The introduction is the cliche we all come to expect from bands like VULVODYNIA, but the impact felt from the opening riffs of Mob Justice show that this isn’t an album to be trifled with. Duncan Bentley immediately continues his reign as one of the finest extreme vocalists, and this time even pushes himself to really nail the annunciation of his lyrics, in amongst the putrid toilet noises he is capable of making. The lyrics in Blood Diamond also serve as a chance for the band to step outside of their intergalactic and demonic tales of gore and violence, instead turning their ire to the terrorist group Boko Haram and their use of child soldiers. It is a tale that suits the musical output of VULVODYNIA well and will hopefully be something the band continues in later compositions.
Musically, Mob Justice does little to really change the formula much. The fusion of more traditional slam with modern death metal is something that VULVODYNIA have mastered of their time as a unit, and whilst there are no true stand out musical moments, Mob Justice is at its best when the band are all firing away on all cylinders. Just before the guitar solo in Famine, the group pulverise with caveman riffs and some deep gutturals, and it’s the stand out moments like these that show how strong the quintet has become over the years.
The need to bridge the gap between genres does take a step too far with the other cliche of including an interlude track. Utterly redundant in the listing of the album, Mob Justice doesn’t hammer the listener enough in the first half of the album to warrant this, and the following Nyaope is enough of a belter to warrant skipping Echoes Of the Motherland entirely. It’s here that Mob Justice also reveals some of its most unique moments, as it allows GUTALAX vocalist Martin Matoušek to display his brilliant, if deeply odd, possessed toad noises within a musical project that isn’t the extreme metal’s silliest outfit.
Mob Justice is a bit of a consolidation of where VULVODYNIA are at, as opposed to forging forward with their creative evolution. Still clinging onto genre cliches, the band sharpen the blueprint that fuses deathcore, slam, and death metal together in a better way than ever before, but Mob Justice true stand out moments for it to claim the top spot amongst the heavier releases of the year. Ultimately, and perhaps for the best, Mob Justice gives VULVODYNIA more ammo to continue their campaign of levelling venues and growing their reputation.
Rating: 7/10
Mob Justice is out now via Lacerated Enemy Records.
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