ALBUM REVIEW: Mutation – RedHook

It’s barely eighteen months and Aussie shapeshifters REDHOOK are releasing their second album Mutation after a steady drip-feed of singles over the year. Seven singles is a lot, but they’ve all been quite different from each other, showing a band that were just too excited to sit on the album any longer after their debut, Postcard From A Living Hell, took them a few years to write and release. Naturally, there’s a risk that such a short turnaround results in a rushed album, but fortunately that’s not the case here. 

Mutation encompasses both the band’s attitude to pushing their own musical envelope, doubling down on all the elements they’ve played with before, as well as vocalist Emmy Mack’s changing mindset and mental health since the events that inspired songs on both Postcard… and preceding EP Bad Decisions. Opening with the explosive Pyromaniac, the album kicks into gear with bouncing nu-metal riffs and its chorus is ludicrously catchy even by REDHOOK’s standards. Following it with the sax-flecked Breaking Up With, an ode to Emmy’s past self (notably the one she lambasts herself for being in Bad Decisions) makes for an extremely strong start to the album.

Although it’s notable that more than half of the album has been released as singles, there’s still plenty of unreleased variety that gels alongside them. HEXX features New Zealand newcomer VANA, with Emmy flexing her rap muscles with its verses and the band breaking into far more drum ‘n’ bass territory with its driving beat. Alongside that as an example of vocal versatility is Bomb.com, the final single from the album, where Mack delivers some of her fastest flows to date. Mutation is also musically more adventurous than before; guitarist Craig Wilkinson and bassist Ned Jankovic offering up everything from pop-punk chord progressions, bouncing nu-metal riffs or even funky moments and practically everything in between. 

That lyrical reckoning both with her past and present self represents the core of Mutation’s themes; Breaking Up With sees her acknowledging how damaging her mindset around the time of Bad Decisions was and choosing to make a change for the better, while Cannibal is an unapologetic reclaiming of sex and sensuality. It’s a sequel to Jabberwocky, in which Mack reckoned with being a victim of sexual assault, and now shows her wanting to move forwards and explore sensuality on her terms, without judgement. Similarly, Hot Tub is raunchy to the extreme, packed full of innuendo even as it implores to “get the fuck in my hot tub”.

There’s more serious songs about the state of the industry too, and the judgement they’ve faced; Bomb.com excoriates a male figure in the industry where “these chick bands are so cringe” features as a tongue-in-cheek line while its chorus bounces and grooves with middle fingers raised. Alongside all the rampant nu-metal love, there’s a greater love of synths and vocal effects on display that shows a band unafraid to experiment with whatever they think sounds cool, bashing together styles from the NINE INCH NAILS-inspired Cannibal to pop-rock (Party Zombie) and ska (Breaking Up With).

If nothing else, Mutation doubles down on REDHOOK‘s oddball nature, along with confessional lyricism, to make an album that’s unmistakably REDHOOK while still pushing their boundaries even more than before. This one’s for the weirdos. 

Rating: 8/10

Mutation is set for release on November 22nd via Adventure Cat Records. 

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