Molybaron: From The Political To Personal

It’s been a few weeks since the release of The Mutiny; the sickeningly riffy, second album from MOLYBARON. Filled with feral tracks such as Prosperity Gospel and Lucifer. The alt-rock vibes, and possessive lyrics have come to transcend the band’s debut release. The extremely dark and personal narratives will have taken fans by surprise, as the group edge away from the more political currents that were previously intertwined into their first album’s lyrics. 

Focusing instead on the issue of mental health and personal attributes that have shaped their own lives, the members pulled together to create the strong discography of 10 powerful, melodic tunes that take inspiration from the world around them. “You would think the process of writing about something that is close to home would be harder, but it’s not. I felt I could really put all of my energy into the songs. I related on a more emotive level and I think that comes across when you listen. Some of the songs are still political, but most of them focus on the group’s collective experiences. I think its made for a better album, it has more passion than the first and I think people like to be able to relate.”

The French-Irish rooted group, who already had a solid fan-base and several killer tunes, have seemingly levelled up with the new release. Securing their pathway into the most respected metal listeners earphones and garnering a dedicated flock of new listeners. Gary Kelly, frontman and lyricist, described the group’s process of creating a stand-out tune. “The riff is the genesis of each song, Steven [Andre, guitars] sends me over a riff and we create the entirety of the song based off of that. The creation of a song may start out completely different to how it ends up.” 

The process, which sees the group entirely separate for the most part, flaunts vigorous energy, with each member’s talents and musicality aggressively shining through. The ability to pull together a cohesive track-list demonstrates a strong union between the members that is admirable and necessary during times where a lot of us could not physically meet. While some would find the separation a hindrance towards the development of a new album, for MOLYBARON, who have had some tracks prepared since 2019, they are used to working in this way.

This ability to continue making music, even in the most unprecedented times, might have seemed challenging to others, yet the group acknowledged that The Mutiny, while different to their previous material demonstrates a certain amount of growth in the band. This growth along with the overall aesthetic of the group feels special, a stand out among the more mainstream rock we have come to expect. Kelly comments, “the process of finding our sound was extremely satisfying. It was physically and emotionally exhausting. But it really did feel like we took it the next level, it feels stronger than the first album.”

In particular, the ability to tackle the issue and stigma surrounding mental health with their lyrics is something that the band should accredit to themselves. It is skill-fully done, approaching the topic in a way which gives an insight for the listener yet is not dreary or stereotypically gloomy. The tracks that address these themes are meaty, impressive and downright catchy. Thus allowing the listener to revel in the heavy musical prowess that exude from the band, whilst still touching on more personal subjects. For a group such as MOLYBARON, the challenge of being a newer group did come with some hurdles though.

“A lot of our stuff on YouTube got suspended, the algorithm decided our images weren’t appropriate. One of the images we used for the promo included some fake blood, and so a computer, a robot, suspended the material.” In times where, algorithm plays such a vital part in the accessibility of newer, smaller groups music, listeners are now finding bands such as MOLYBARON through Spotify. This revenue draws in new fans, allowing them to find MOLYBARON through ads and links in curated playlists. 

Rising from the political into more personal narratives, stand out tracks such as animals should be featured in every heavy-music lovers current playlist. Maintaining their iconic sound that features intense riffs and hooks, singing that can only be recognised as similar to that of the likes seen in AVENGED SEVENFOLD and interesting concepts are all drivers for sustained success. And while, MOLYBARON had significant success and recognition for their first album, it is this second that’ll have listeners talking.

As we now grow now into what will hopefully be a more conscionable future, the next step for this band will be how they move onto their next steps. Their second album summing up this period of solitude, having mostly worked on the album apart, and putting in their thoughts and feelings individually. It is now how they progress when they find themselves working and touring together that will define them. If they can manage to keep the introspective and personable thoughts of the second album, thoughts that can sometimes be only found through deep self reflection, and combine them with the progressive and forward thinking of the first albums. Then we will be looking at a whole new beast to enjoy.

The Mutiny is out now via self-release.

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