EP REVIEW: Festering Mutations – Blood Mania

Like a bolt out the blue, BLOOD MANIA have announced a thunderous arrival with Festering Mutations. With an eye to release further singles, but no current plans for a full length. BLOOD MANIA have an air of mystery. However, what is not up debate, off the back of this release, the band are capable of delivering some colossal riffs and crushing death metal.

With the open track hitting like a wrecking ball operated by an Acme villain, BLOOD MANIA don’t so much as announce an arrival as bludgeon one over the head. Squealing feedback gives way to chugging riffs and contagious blast beats. It’s raucous and chaotic in the best way. While subtly may not be in the manifesto, this is far from simplistic death metal. There is texture, dynamism and expressive layering at work throughout both tracks. There is a craft to engineering a truly captivating extreme track and here it is to be found in abundant glory. The mix is bang on, allowing all of the elements to be identified and coalesce into a mammoth wall of sound.

Featuring SLABDRAGGER’s Sam Thredder on production duties as well as contributing two solos on the blistering first track, the credentials of BLOOD MANIA are strong. With the weight of song-writing and musical execution displayed here, their practical ability is also assured. Within the space of just two tracks, this release contains all of the ingredients to mark them out as a dominant death metal force.

Festering Mutations is a small, yet intensely powerful debut statement that beats the listener over the head. Like a sock filled with tungsten ball bearings. It successfully whets the appetite for more gloriously crushing death metal. Crashing and rolling over just two tracks it has the strength to push the BLOOD MANIA name to prominence and will hopefully lead to further releases.

Rating: 8/10

Festering Mutations is out now via self-release. 

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