Mutoid Man – Mutants | Album Review

New York based supergroup Mutoid Man re-emerge from the toxic wastes to take the underground by storm with more riffs then you can shake a stick at on new album Mutants.

First forming in 2012 as a two-piece band of two longtime friends of the early metalcore scene, guitarist/vocalist Stephen Brodsky (Cave In) and drummer Ben Koller (Converge) quickly found bassist Nick Cageao and released their debut EP Helium Head. With a relentless work ethic in tow, Mutoid Man quickly gained traction and released two studio albums in the form of 2015’s debut Bleeders and 2017’s excellent follow up War Moans, landing them opening slots with bands like Mastodon and Danzig. After six long years and choosing to replace Cageao with the almighty Jeff Matz (High On Fire) on bass guitar, Mutoid Man are out for blood with Mutants. 

The album pulls no punches right out of the gate with opening track (and lead single) ‘Call Of The Void’. Sitting somewhere between the upfront speed of Motorhead, the progressive sensibilities of Mastodon and the sing-a-long punk chorus’ of The Misfits, the four minute track flies by and leaves an immediate lasting impression. As the rest of the album follows, a similar feeling is left on the other side of every single track, to say Mutants is a catchy album is an understatement.

Mutoid Man have always been known for their ability to meld lizard-brain, primal riffing with a progressive side in their technicality, but Jeff Matz on bass has really pushed that progressive edge further than ever before. Even just on the track ‘Broken Glass Ceiling’, each member of the trio are playing the most ludicrous parts on their respective instruments and still Brodsky manages to squeeze another ear-worm for the chorus’ vocal hook.

When you take two of the hardcore/metalcore worlds most proficient players and let them egg each other on to write the catchiest and most outrageous songs possible, you’re off to a good start. Then add one of the best bassists from the stoner/sludge world and the sheer amount of memorable riffs, hooks, bass lines and drum fills packed into this album is remarkable. Brodsky’s riffs across the board are jaw dropping and aggressive ear-worms, alongside Koller’s continued mind-blowing domination of the drums lead to some absurdly good moments on the album.

The band explore a variety of territories across the ten tracks, but it all stays rooted in the world of heavy metal in one form or another. Whether its the stoner heavy grooves on ‘Siren Song’, the tongue-in-cheek speed metal cheese of ‘Graveyard Love’ and the frenetic sludgy chugging of ‘Unborn’ (all of which run back to back on the track list). It’s hard not to point at every single song on the album and celebrate their merits as each one of them is worth talking about. Most of the songs linger around the three minute mark keeping them concise without letting any overstay their welcome. Even when Mutoid Man indulge themselves and push the run time, such as with near six minute album closer ‘Setting Sun’, the songwriting and hooks are so mesmerising that time melts away as you find yourself nodding along, lost in the grooves.

Mutants is an unabashed celebration of “Heavy Metal” without an ounce of filler hidden in the track list, flying by in the span of thirty eight minutes or so. Every single song hits wonderfully, the album is paced incredibly well and the journey is so good its easy to stick it on repeat and go around again. Mutoid Man have definitely just put out their best work so far and knowing the amount of effort they put in behind the scenes, Mutants has got everything to see the band rising to their true potential.