Few bands are as fun a Austin’s Mammoth Grinder, and their latest, Underworlds, is their most fun yet. Equal parts d-beat swagger, heavy metal riffing, and 90’s death metal groove, Underworlds is a record firmly planted in the back beat.
Underworlds makes itself clear right from the get-go, with the title tracking starting on a screeching guitar lead and a catchy jumbled bass. Blown out vocals (think Lemmy huffing gas exhaust and filling in for Wolverine Blues) match it all perfectly and belt out some real gut-wrenching “ughs” in between some vehement sections that have a nice Dave Vincent circa Terrorizer pacing to them.
The nifty lead in “Paragon Pusher” weaves right into the cudgel-swinging end section that sets up “Barricades,” a favorite of mine. The latter’s mid-tempo stomp and the authoritative spite behind Chris Ulsh’s voice makes it one of the heavier hitters on the album. Coming to a close with “Moral Crux,” Underworlds bridges a gap between nearly all of metal’s lineage and successfully pummels the listener with everything that makes metal “metal” and not rock.
What makes Underworlds so fun isn’t just the incredible artwork (courtesy of Joe Petagno), the perfect production or ideal length, but rather it’s the marriage of fist pumping and mosh friendly rhythms and a steady diet of memorable riffs all tied together in a way that will have 40 year old dads head banging with their Anthrax shirts and their young shit kids circling in the pit.
Pick up the vinyl or CD (or mp3s if that’s your thing) at 20Buck Spin’s site.
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