Guitarist/vocalist Stephen Brodsky (Cave In, Old Man Gloom) and drummer Ben Koller (Converge, Killer Be Killed) have always excelled at crafting their own unique brand of frenzied, hyper-focused, dynamic, and deliciously excessive fretboard-savvy metal. Take two players who were raised in the hardcore world and who quickly surpassed the technical requirements for playing even the more sophisticated spins on that sound, and then make them playfully push each other into more outrageous and catchy territories, and you have a rough approximation of the Mutoid Man sound. With the addition of bassist Jeff Matz (High on Fire, Zeke) in tow, you now have a trifecta of prog-level players approaching metal with punk irreverence. But Mutants never comes across as academic noodling. Rather, the whole album radiates an exuberant and adrenalized joy.
Despite the setbacks of the pandemic, the new obstacle of members living in different cities, and making room for the schedules of Cave In, Converge, and High on Fire, Mutants sounds like it’s still operating on the endorphin rush of their early years. “I think the strength of our new material and the unwavering excitement for its potential kept us going,” Brodsky says when asked about their hiatus. “We knew there was a great album in the vault, even if it meant letting the ingredients marinate for a little longer.”
TRACK LISTING
1. Call Of The Void
2. Frozen Hearts
3. Broken Glass Ceiling
4. Siren Song
5. Graveyard Love
6. Unborn
7. Siphon
8. Demons
9. Memory Hole
10. Setting Sun