A well-regarded New York City weekly recently called the current wave of stoner rock 'easy on the ears' in comparison to its earlier incarnations with Kyuss and its many disciples. It takes only one listen to Mammatus' debut album to see that this band is hardly easy to swallow. They just plain destroy.
Corralitos, California's Mammatus have only been together since 2005, but their debut album officially resuscitates a genre that has a host of imitators but few originators. While the crux of the stoner rock genre is in its steady drum beats and thick bar chords, Mammatus eschew the traditional to incorporate heavy doses of metallic guitar riffs, groove-laden solos, wailing psych freak-outs, and massive bass licks that other bands are afraid or unable to pull off. Very few bands regardless of genre display such a natural love for the music as this young band does in spades.
Clocking in at nearly 45 minutes, Mammatus begins quickly with "The Righteous Path Through the Forest of Old." With melodic bass lines right up with the guitars in the mix, the band jams hard and fast. Aaron (also from Residual Echoes) mixes steady drum beats with wild, free jazz chops, as the track travels from a simple groove to elaborate space rock. Nicky's reverberating vocals, reminiscent of Dead Meadow, complement the track perfectly. "The Outer Rim," a tribal interlude, leads into the heavy bass of "Dragon of the Deep Part One." The epic, 22-minute album closer "Dragon of the Deep Part Two" is a monstrous metal workout that perfectly ends what is shaping up to be one of the top albums of 2006.
While various psych rock bands hold back for fear that they may lose some non-existent edge, Mammatus are not afraid to completely rock out. Their talent and passion are something sorely lacking in the underground, and they are undoubtedly the band to watch throughout the year.
1. The Righteous Path Through the Forest of Old
2. The Outer Rim
3. Dragon of the Deep Part One
4. Dragon of the Deep Part Two
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