Mutants

Description

When Mutoid Man burst onto the scene in 2013, the Brooklyn trio combined punk energy, metal showmanship, and progressive rock musical gymnastics with seemingly unstoppable momentum. Building on the success of their debut EP, *Helium Head* (2013), the band adopted a maniacal work ethic over the next four years, churning out two full-length albums, *Bleeder* (2015) and *War Moans* (2017), and relentlessly touring the US and Europe on their own headlining runs. With support slots for Mastodon and Danzig, Mutoid Man’s entrance into the elite of heavy metal heroes seemed inevitable. After a six-year hiatus, Mutoid Man is back to reclaim their throne with their most mind-bending effort to date, their third full-length album, *Mutants*. Guitarist/vocalist Stephen Brodsky (Cave In, Old Man Gloom) and drummer Ben Koller (Converge, Killer Be Killed) have always excelled at crafting their own brand of frenetic, hyper-focused, dynamic, and delightfully excessive metal. Take two musicians who were raised in the hardcore world and quickly outgrew the technical demands to play even the most sophisticated twists of that sound, then have them gleefully challenge each other to more outrageous and catchy territory, and you have an approximation of Mutoid Man’s sound. With the addition of bassist Jeff Matz (High on Fire, Zeke), you now have a trio of prog-level players who approach metal with punk irreverence. The entire album radiates with an exuberant, adrenaline-fueled joy.