Once in awhile a band stands out from the roaring din and demands to be heard. Unbeknownst to most of the world there’s a distillation of sound and intention, a pressure building on small stages far away, and then BOOM! An album appears with such finesse, such focus, that you can’t help but admire it instantly, and what you thought you knew about genre somehow…changes. Burst is this album and Brutus are this band.
Brutus are a three-piece from Leuven, Belgium, and Burst is one of the best albums of 2017.
RELEASE DATE: 12 May 2017 LABEL: Hassle Records (EU), Sargent House (US/Worldwide)
Since their somewhat casual inception in 2012, Mutoid Man has transformed from an outlet for Stephen Brodsky (Cave In) and Ben Koller (Converge, All Pigs Must Die) to explore the lighter side of metal to a deadly serious supergroup. Their 2015 release, Bleeder, netted endless praise, inspiring the band to push themselves even further on their next release. Accordingly, War Moans, leaps forward musically and lyrically, challenging the conventions of metal, culture, sexuality, and politics. We spoke with Brodsky and bassist Nicholas Cageao about perversion, relationships, and war.
You said this was your most ‘perverted record.’ Can you expound on that? What makes it perverted?
When the world first met Mutoid Man, the supergroup comprised of members of Cave In, Converge, and All Pigs Must Die, it didn’t seem like the project was built to last. The band was a bi-coastal trio of friends with other higher priority gigs in their way. But the seeds they planted with their 2013 debut, Helium Head, have since sprouted into a towering behemoth in its own right.
On War Moans, their third album in four years, Mutoid Man has not only found their footing in their identity, but is full-on running through walls with it. The album showcases the members’ unabashed love of metal riffs and fucked up time signatures, which seem to get more illogical for each year that Mutoid Man endures. At points, it feels like an inside joke among the members as they try to warp, twist, and stretch timings until they’re barely playable by human hands.
And while the band members—Stephen Brodsky, Ben Koller, and Nick Cageao—are clearly students of the Van Halen-style of guitar worship, War Moans is not simply a tribute record. Instead, it inverts the macho metal mindset, making the listener question the very fabric of their devotion to the genre. At times, this comes in the form of over-the-top sexualization, like a narrative about impregnating Satan’s daughter on “Date with the Devil,” but other times it’s simply an overly exaggerated wail from singer/guitarist Brodsky.
War Moans is a spacey, mathy record that’s finds that hairline balance between being sincere and being meta, all from a band that, thankfully, looks like it’s here to stay.
Listen to War Moans below and catch Mutoid Man on tour with Helms Alee at the dates below.
June 4 Boston, MA @ Great Scott June 5 Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus June 6 Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus June 7 Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery June 8 Detroit, MI @ El Club June 9 Chicago, IL @ Subterranean June 10 Indianapolis, IN @ Black Circle Brewing June 12 Dallas, TX @ Curtain Club June 13 Austin, TX @ Barracuda June 14 Houston, TX @ The Studio at Warehouse Live June 15 Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon June 16 Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Hell) June 17 Orlando, FL @ The Social June 19 Raleigh, NC @ King’s June 20 Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts - Black Box July 6 Seattle, WA @ Neumos July 7 Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater July 8 San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s July 10 Los Angeles, CA @ Resident July 11 Santa Ana, CA @ The Constellation Room July 12 San Diego, CA @ The Casbah July 13 Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge July 14 Las Vegas, NV @ Beauty Bar July 15 Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall July 16 Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
OCT 18 Haarlem, NL // Patronaat OCT 19 Utrecht, NL // EKKO OCT 20 Nijmegen, NL // Doornroosje (Purple Room) OCT 21 Osnabrück, DE // KI. Freiheit OCT 22 Karlsruhe, DE // Stadtmitte OCT 23 Eindhoven, NL // DDWMusic Festival OCT 24 Rouen, FR // Le 106 Club OCT 25 Nantes, FR // Le Ferrailleur OCT 26 Bordeaux, FR // Le Void OCT 27 Barcelona, SP // AM Fest OCT 28 Madrid, SP // Sala Caracol OCT 29 Porto, PT // Hard Club OCT 30 Lisbon, PT // Musicbox
NOV 02 Milan, IT // Magnolia NOV 03 Fribourg, CH // Nouveau Monde NOV 04 Winterthur, CH // Gaswerk NOV 05 Pratteln, CH // MiniZ7 NOV 06 München, DE // Ampere NOV 07 Prague, CZ // NoD Teatro NOV 08 Leipzig, DE // Conne Island NOV 09 Berlin, DE // Bi Nuu NOV 10 Hannover, DE // Bei Chez Heinz NOV 12 Cologne, DE // Gebäude 9 NOV 13 Wiesbaden, DE // Schlachthof NOV 14 Essen, DE // Zeche Carl NOV 15 Hamburg, DE // Knust NOV 16 Groningen, NL // Vera NOV 17 Maastricht, NL // Muziekgieterij NOV 18 Louvain-La-Neuve, BE // Festival La Ferme NOV 19 Kortrijk, BE // De Kreun NOV 21 Paris, FR // Maroquinerie NOV 22 Luxembourg, LU // Rockhal NOV 23 London, UK // Koko NOV 24 Manchester, UK // Academy 2 NOV 25 Glasgow, UK // Oran Mor NOV 26 Bristol, UK // Thekla
Big Walnuts Yonder–an incredible supergroup featuring Minutemen’s Mike Watt, Wilco’s Nels Cline, Deerhoof’s Greg Saunier, and Tera Melos’ Nick Reinhart–just put out one of the most powerful and marvelously eclectic rock records of the year. Even though the band formed way back in 2008 and didn’t record the album until 2014, it still sounds raw and fresh as hell. The dirty funk of opener “All Against All” accurately portrays the LP’s unique blend of lo-fi math rock and noisy, throwback ‘90s skate punk, while the energetic “Raise the Drawbridges?” gloriously flaunts ear-piercing guitar licks and groove-heavy percussion.
Aside from recording seriously great music with Watt, Cline, and Saunier, Nick Reinhart has proved himself to be one of the most strikingly innovative guitarists in recent memory with his countless other bands and side projects. He is best known as the frontman of Sacramento-based experimental rock trio Tera Melos, who explored complex, mind-bending indie-math zones on their most recent release, 2013′s X’ed Out.
Reinhart has also worked with drummer Zach Hill in Bygones and Death Grips; played live in Rob Crow’s band Goblin Cock; and performed a series of engrossing, entirely improvised live sets with Dot Hacker’s Eric Gardner as Swollen Brain, all of which are discussed in our interview below (the power of collaboration is definitely key here).
Burst, the debut album from Belgian trio Brutus, is an aptly named record. It’s a sonic burst, a fast rushing monster that hits you hard right out of the gate and rarely lets you stop to catch your breath. It’d be unfair to peg Brutus as one thing, because it’s clear from Burst that they are equal parts hardcore, metal, and straight up rock. If you’re a fan of hard hitting rock–stuff brimming with chaos and energy–then you simply have to listen Brutus.
Russian Circles is visually and sonically unparallelled. Mike Sullivan, Dave Turncrantz and Brian Cook walked onto a dark stage and began playing. They occasionally sipped local Alabama IPA, but never spoke. When they played the last note of “Deficit,” they simply waved and exited. The trio needed nothing more than their respective instruments to be breathtaking; their lack of vocals was entirely unnoticeable as Sullivan’s riffs, Turncrantz’ pummeling drums and Cook’s heart-palpitating bass playing wove an emotional rising and falling tale. Every Russian Circles song is massive, dramatic and captivating–this was multiplied tenfold in the band’s presence. There are few experiences comparable to that of standing eyes-closed in front of the Chicago trio and allowing the influence of sound to take over every movement.
New York rock heavyweights Mutoid Man, who include members of Cave In and Converge among their ranks, are nearing the release of sophomore album War Moans. We’ve posted “Melt Your Mind” and “Kiss Of Death,” and today we present album closer “Bandages.” It’s not a Hot Hot Heat cover but rather a slow-burn behemoth elevated a few extra notches skyward by guest vocals from Chelsea Wolfe. Listen at Stereogum.
Mutoid Man are about to go on tour with Helms Alee:
05/22 New York, NY @ Terminal 5 w/ Coheed & Cambria (No Helms Alee) 06/04 Boston, MA @ Great Scott 06/05 Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus 06/06 Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus **Sold Out** 06/07 Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery 06/08 Detroit, MI @ El Club 06/09 Chicago, IL @ Subterranean 06/10 Indianapolis, IN @ Black Circle Brewing 06/12 Dallas, TX @ Curtain Club 06/13 Austin, TX @ Barracuda 06/14 Houston, TX @ The Studio at Warehouse Live 06/15 Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon 06/16 Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Hell) 06/17 Orlando, FL @ The Social 06/19 Raleigh, NC @ King’s 06/20 Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts – Black Box 07/06 Seattle, WA @ Neumos 07/07 Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater 07/08 San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s 07/10 Los Angeles, CA @ Resident 07/11 Santa Ana, CA @ The Constellation Room 07/12 San Diego, CA @ The Casbah 07/13 Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge 07/14 Las Vegas, NV @ Beauty Bar 07/15 Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall 07/16 Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
War Moans is out 6/2 on Sargent House. Pre-order it here.
