Mutants

Description

When Mutoid Man burst onto the scene in 2013, the Brooklyn trio combined the energy of punk, the showmanship of metal, and the musical gymnastics of progressive rock with seemingly unstoppable momentum. Building on the success of their debut EP Helium Head (2013), the band adopted a manic work ethic over the next four years, releasing two full-length albums, Bleeder (2015) and War Moans (2017), and touring relentlessly across the United States and Europe on their own headline runs. With opening slots for Mastodon and Danzig, Mutoid Man’s entry into the elite ranks of heavy metal heroes seemed inevitable. After a six-year hiatus, Mutoid Man are back to reclaim their throne with their most jaw-dropping effort yet, 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 creating their own brand of frenetic, hyper-focused, dynamic, and delightfully over-the-top metal. Take two musicians who were raised in the world of hardcore and quickly moved beyond the technical demands to play even the most sophisticated twists of that sound, then have them have fun pushing each other toward more outrageous and catchy territory, and you get an approximation of Mutoid Man’s sound. With the arrival of bassist Jeff Matz (High on Fire, Zeke), you now have a trio of prog-level musicians approaching metal with punk irreverence. The whole album radiates exuberant, adrenaline-fueled joy.