Review: Mammoth Grinder Cuts Straight to the Point on Undying Spectral Resonance

Simplicity is a beautiful thing. In this hectic day and age where a thousand different things are constantly competing for your attention (or, more accurately, your wallet) from a myriad of screens and speakers at every turn, it’s always such a relief when something comes along that doesn’t try to dress itself up as something else. It doesn’t need to explain itself or try to sell you on it, because the quality of the product speaks for itself; one look or listen is all it takes to understand that you’ve got the real deal on your hands, and when that happens, I find it to be profoundly satisfying.

There is an inherent authority to authenticity in an age of mass-produced plastic crap, and so when something like Mammoth Grinder’s new EP Undying Spectral Resonance comes along, one can’t help but stop and take notice. They don’t do anything we haven’t already heard before, but the difference is that when these guys do it, it comes with a sense of swagger and supreme confidence, and ultimately that is what resonates the most. It’s straightforward, no-frills old school death metal in the vein of Frozen Soul or 200 Stab Wounds with just the faintest tinge of hardcore sensibilities lurking just beneath the surface, and what it “lacks” in complexity it more than makes up for with both personality and genuine enthusiasm.

The opening track “Corpse of Divinant” sounds like the soundtrack to every dingy beer-soaked, cigarette-stained basement club that ever played host to underground thrash and death metal shows in the days where it was considered normal to smoke indoors, and I mean that in the most endearing way possible. I can practically see the waves of hair whipping around over frayed denim vests and feel my shoes sticking to the floor as the crowd is whipped into a circle pit by the dive bomb guitar solos and pounding d-beats. It perfectly encapsulates the spirit of everything we love about that era, and in just over two minutes, no less. Economy of action is a very real thing, and these dudes have got it down to a science.

Next up is the title track, which picks up the baton without missing a step and keeps the momentum driving along flawlessly. The slow, steady tremolo picking and cavernous drums are like the lumbering footsteps of some enormous, ravenous beast, and when the pace eventually picks up a bit for the solo towards the end, it’s as if the creature has spotted its prey and broken into a sprint for the attack. And then, when the song abruptly ends and fades away… well, sucks to be the poor bastard that caught its attention.

Unfortunately, the following track is yet another pointless synth-heavy “creepy” interlude which only serves to disrupt the flow and will likely be skipped by the majority of listeners (seriously, when will bands learn that the only time shit like this actually works is at the beginning of a live show), but thankfully it only lasts for a few minutes, and the fourth (third?) song “Decrease the Peace” picks things right back up from where they left off. Imagine if Mortician and Obituary had a baby, and then you’d be somewhere in the neighborhood of how shamelessly groovy it is. It’ll put hair on your chest whether you like it or not.

Last but not least, the closing track “Obsessed with Death” is a d-beat wonderland where the band really let their punk and hardcore influences run wild for one last hoorah before packing it in and calling it a day. One last ripping guitar solo, one last circle pit, one last choked crash cymbal, and then it’s all over. No encore, no curtain call, no autographs. Show’s over folks, hope you had fun, you don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here. And you know what? That is just fine with me.

Undying Spectral Resonance has a lot of things going for it, most notably how it makes so much out of so little. While a lot of bands work hard to make a lengthy song seem not as long as it actually is (which is no easy feat and an impressive accomplishment all the same), this EP actually achieves the complete opposite; the longest song clocks in at just over three minutes, with the other three sitting at a meager two and change, but not a single one of them feels rushed or incomplete. In that short amount of time, simple but catchy riffs are fully fleshed out and given all the room they need to establish themselves, a fun and tastefully written guitar solo will pop up to break up the pacing without overstaying its welcome, and then it all gets wrapped up with a nice little bow at the end without any unnecessary flair or ado.

The quality of the production also plays a huge role, with careful and equal attention to detail being paid to create a perfectly balanced mix where all of the instruments are crystal clear without sacrificing any of the gritty ugliness and slight muddiness of tone which gives it that trademark OSDM vibe. Far too often (at least for my taste), other albums in these circles tend to opt for very low fidelity recordings with way too much reverb in an attempt to emulate the quote-unquote “atmosphere” of the early days, but Undying is proof that you can still effectively capture that essence without being stingy on the recording process. The music may be very simplistic in nature, but even still, a little bit of effort goes a long way.

With all of the bullshit going on in the world today, it’s honestly refreshing to come across something that asks so little of us and gives so much in return. We need that catharsis, even if it’s just for a moment or two. If you’ve got about fifteen minutes to spare and just want to bang your head and thrash around like it’s the early ’90s again, then this EP is for you, my fellow weary souls. It won’t solve all of your problems, but it’ll put a bright spot in your day and a little extra pep in your step, and all things considered, that sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

Undying Spectral Resonance drops Friday, November 15th via Relapse Records, pre-order your copy here