Mothertomb – Dying To Live
Mothertomb – Dying To Live
Self – Released
Release Date: 14/07/26
Review by Dark Juan
Score: 9/10
Greetings, dear friends. It is your least favourite ersatz Metal hack, Dark Juan, back to spout some complete nonsense at you that may or may not (depending on which way the wind is blowing) have something to do with the music I am currently listening to. I have some leave from my actual job of wrangling adults and making them actually do their fucking jobs instead of crying about it and instead have some time to spare to do the work I actually enjoy, which is torturing you lot with slaughterhouse metaphors, tales of youthful debauches and ramming my opinion right down your poor, unsuspecting throats.
You can thank me later.
Now, I am a champion of the British (and, by extension because I lived there for a while) and French extreme music scenes. Most of the drivel that you are forced to read when our Almighty Metal Mum Beth publishes it is from these two fine nations. However, Dark Juan is nothing if not inclusive and has covered four of the five continents on the planet (discounting Antarctica because recording opportunities are…. Somewhat limited there) with bands that have caught his attention. This includes the USA, and this is the case with today’s victims, a quartet from Northern Michigan (or Southern Canada, if we are going to dip briefly into political jokes) named Mothertomb. Let us release the puissant Platter of Splatter ™ from its corral in the back yard of Crow Cottage and sling “Dying To Live” upon it as an offering.
The first thing that strikes you about Mothertomb is focal point and vocalist Alice Gawlinski. This lady is possessed of a voice that can melt both hearts and steel at stand-off ranges. Her voice carries a honeyed, worrying (in the sense that she is able to convey a languid sensuousness that has a deeply disturbing promise of violence beneath it) sweetness that is a direct counterpoint to the muscularity of the music, except when it isn’t, because she also possesses a serrated, razor-sharp rasp when she chooses to deploy it. To describe her as talented is to understate the qualities she brings to the band as a whole. She has an absolutely devastating voice and now Dark Juan has gone head over heels again and it is frankly embarrassing for a man of his age. I’ll be back in a few moments…
Now we have had a cold shower, we can be rather more objective. The album begins with ‘The Summoning ’, which is three minutes of setting you up for some good, old-fashioned US Doom Metal before the band crash rather forcefully into ‘Cythraul’, which is ten minutes-worth of musical peine forte a dure. It’s heavy and fuzzy and has more bottom end than the Russian Navy on manoeuvres in the Barents Sea. However, the sound is too polished for Dark Juan’s tastes, and this takes away some of the groovetastic goodness that Doom Metal normally provides. It’s too clean. It should be dirty and scuzzy and unshaven and chugging beers and chatting absolute shit in an absolute toilet of a club and wearing a battle jacket and jeans that are covered in engine oil and taco stains and fuck off biker boots.
This is not to say that the music is not good. It is fucking brilliant, and Dark Juan is aware that his previous statement is his own preference, but hey, I am a music reviewer, AND critic, and it is my job to tell you good people out there that good and the bad about the music I listen to. And part of that is my opinion.
However, this clean sound pays dividends at certain points on the album, specifically on the more Psychedelic parts of ‘Mountain Hag’, where effect layered guitars and some thunderous bass work tie in beautifully with Gawlinski’s, sinuous, supple, soft, predatory vocal before crashing into riffs of such majesty that Dark Juan has found himself salaaming piously at the feet of Mothertomb. This is always a Very Good Thing. Dark Juan needs to be kept occupied otherwise, that’s when the mental blackouts and the police visiting the house and asking uncomfortable questions start. ‘Mountain Hag’ is a mountainous song. It is huge, it is absolutely unstoppable, and it makes Dark Juan gurn like he’s having a very complicated shit. That’s what he looks like when he is enjoying himself.
Well, that’s what Mrs Dark Juan says anyway. I’m sure she’s lying. There’s no photo evidence of this.
In short, this is a bit of a monster of an album, and leaving the too clean production and mix aside (although, from a certain point of view it is a pleasure to be able to hear every instrument really clearly, especially a masterfully mixed and thoroughly resonant bass drum – this one doesn’t sound like someone twatting a wet blanket with a flaccid cod fish) there is much to enjoy on “Dying To Live”. The songs are masterfully crafted pieces of aural art, with enough crunch to satisfy the most ardent of Doomsters and riffs that Tony Iommi himself would give another couple of fingertips to have written. And they have a powerful asset in Alice Gawlinski, whose presence breathes life into the whole band – her vocals just fucking WORK with the music, and it is this visceral reaction that turns a good band into a great band in Dark Juan’s opinion. She’s a fucking good singer, and Mothertomb are a fucking good band who don’t bring anything particularly new to the genre but execute what they do with such fucking aplomb that Dark Juan cannot help his newfound, ardent love of Mothertomb.
That’s a very good place to stop, I think. Wouldn’t want you readers or the band to think I am a bit strange!
The Patented Dark Juan Blood Splat Rating System has taken over from Dark Juan because Mrs Dark Juan has provided a lovely Boursin and tomato sandwich for luncheon, and while he’s busy stuffing his fat face, awards Mothertomb 9/10 for a fine, fine record that can bask in its own magnificence in comfort. You are all exhorted to buy “Dying To Live”.
TRACKLISTING:
The Summoning
Cythraul
Beware
Mountain Hag
Dying to Live
LINE-UP:
Mike Benitez – Drums
Chance Gawlinski – Guitars
Alice Gawlinski – Vocals
Alton Minor – Bass
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/Mothertombofficial/
https://www.instagram.com/mothertomb.official
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5CBNKRs5QWFqkowr0TDmG4
https://mothertomb.bandcamp.com/
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Dark Juan and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities
