Review: Mammuthus ‘Imperator’
Don’t you think there’s a natural link between mammoths and stoner rock? They’re both fuzzy, heavy, stomp along at an unhurried pace, and (according to some misguided individuals) belong in the past. New Zealand’s Mammuthus are clearly on my side as, thanks to Wikipedia, I’ve discovered they’re named after the Latin term for the genus to which mammoths belong.
In fact, Mammuthus imperator (imperial mammoth) was once believed to be a species of mammoth that lived in North America, although more recent taxonomic studies suggest that it wasn’t actually a species distinct from the Columbian mammoth (Mammuthus columbi). However, Wikipedia cautions me against using this to impress people at parties as ‘American mammoth taxonomy is not yet fully resolved’. Dang.
I think we can all agree that the internet has made our lives so much richer for being able to look up important stuff like that, so what of Mammuthus the band? Well, they’re a three-piece from Wellington, New Zealand and Imperator is their debut album. Much as you’d hope from the band’s name, they’re here to bring the world their take on unpretentious, heavy, old-school stoner rock.
Now, unpretentious, heavy, old school stoner rock is very much my bag and there’s plenty here to like. Firstly, the production on this record is spot on – plenty of chewy fuzz goodness on the guitar and the bass sits pleasingly high in the mix. Secondly, vocalist Josh Micallef has a voice that fits the music perfectly and sounds like a whole bunch of singers I can’t quite put my finger on. Thirdly, Mammuthus have an increasingly rare knack for keeping things short and sweet – all of the songs are much more concise than you might expect and the whole record clocks in dead on half an hour.
That said, I found myself wanting to like this record more than I actually found myself liking this record. There’s no terrible flaw in Imperator, it’s just that there’s nothing quite awesome enough to make it stand out from many, many similar records I’ve heard before. I find it’s a bad sign when I spend more time trying to place which bands particular songs remind me of than enjoying the songs themselves.
they’re here to bring the world their take on unpretentious, heavy, old-school stoner rock…
The band come out swinging with Holy Goat, a heavy mid-paced chugger. It’s a solid tune that really sounds like Sasquatch (actually, it sounds even more like Omega Sun, a Slovenian band that really sound like Sasquatch) that’s followed by the similarly solid tunes Long Drive and Backdoor. It’s all decent stuff, but not quite interesting enough to shake unfavourable comparisons with Sasquatch.
Mammuthus slow things down a touch with King Of The Dead, although I’m not a fan of the chorus, before moving into slightly different territory with the instrumental Monolith. Actually, this is nicely done, and I did enjoy the middle section with the plinky guitar (see Tuber’s Desert Overcrowded for a masterclass on plinky guitar) before it all gets very heavy. Bloodworm takes you back into Sasquatch territory and sounds so much like an Omega Sun song, the title of which I can’t remember, that it’s a bit distracting.
Album closer, Formless, is my favourite track. Mammuthus bring in a guest vocalist (for some reason I can’t find her name online, but she’s from fellow New Zealanders End Boss) whose ethereal, slightly mannered delivery brings some welcome mellow, gothy psych vibes to proceedings. The big question on these tunes is will it stay mellow or will it get heavy at the end? At the risk of spoiling the surprise, it gets heavy which seems appropriate given the rest of the album.
Imperator isn’t an album I’m going to rush out and buy a hard copy of, but if you’re in the mood for some burly Sasquatch-esque heavy rock you could certainly do worse.
Label: Independent
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram
Scribed by: Liam Blanc
