A quick read of the biography of this Swedish band made me think of a number of comparisons with Megadeth: both are down to a single original member in the form of their front men; both front men are singer/guitarist/writers; and both are famous for their mouths, one for what it spouts, the other by the mass of bristles it is surrounded by. The big difference, I really enjoyed Mustasch’s latest album and look forward to catching them live!
Changing label, and changing line up, Ralf Gyllenhammar has started his relationship with Nuclear Blast with an album that stands up with the best of any previous release, the self titling of the LP maybe showing a renewed vigour and self confidence. As ever, down tuned Sabbathesque riffs dominate, but played with a skill and vigour few bands can hope to match. Short instrumental intro the prelude to ‘Tritonus’ merges seamlessly into ‘Heresy Blasphemy’ featuring a simple timeless riff that had my head nodding as soon as it kicked in, the almost industrial pounding being broken by a couple of distorted solos that gave a nice contrast. Track like ‘Mine’ and ‘Damn It’s Dark’ have a rockier theme, veering slightly from the band’s metal roots, possibly to appeal to those who feel Foo Fighters is as heavy as they can listen to, but still with a punchy theme to keep the band’s current fans happy.
‘The Man, The Myth, The Wreck’ comes back with another pounding riff in a short punchy package, whilst doom laden stoner guitars stamp their way through ‘Desolate’, solo duties being taken on by what sounds like a hurdy-gurdy, as the music breaks down into the sound of a marching army. The album finishes on an epic number, first hinted at with its prelude, ‘Tritonus’. A slightly sinister violin arrangement creeps out of the speakers before being cut off by maniacal laughter, the insane cackle itself being kicked out of the way by a classic stoner riff that nods its head respectfully to the best of Toni Iommi. All this leads into a spoken passage that could have been lifted from Poe, the deep sonorous voice begging comparison to Boris Karloff, before the strings again kick in like a mutated Bond theme. A truly brave closer to an otherwise straightforward, but quality album, Gyllenhammar is showing that he now has the creative freedom to experiment, and is to be applauded for that.
http://www.myspace.com/mustasch
http://www.mustasch.net
