Milan Italy’s death metal acolytes Mechanical God Creation will release the next chapter of their headbanging, growling history in late March via Goatmancer Records. They’ve released “Warface” introducing new material to slap ears around with in the meantime.
Created in 2006, they’ve shared stages and festival spots with Behemoth, Septicflesh, Kreator, Dragonforce and Rotting Christ touring through Saint Petersburg, Moscow, Bucharest, Malta and London among other stops.
The New Chapter’s a 12-track eyebrow raising romp of fast-paced bludgeoning everything, along with surprising guitar elements, instrumental moments with style and tempo changes that aren’t expected. The music always keeps you guessing from guitar and bass solos, to blast beats and breakdowns or a split second of unanticipated silence.
Guitars are often schizophrenic as strings spend considerable time in different styles and patterns, bordering different metal genres, bearing an unconventional approach with convention. Songs that will drill holes in skin to leave an impression with plentiful amounts of mosh and pit friendly ingredients to keep the endorphins and adrenaline pumping. There’s some old school Arch Enemy influence, Death and hints of Venom with blast beats galore. Drums play the part of a thousand angry feet moving to mosh, confront and kill, like a war fought at high decibels.
The brutal, strong growling comes from former Art of Mutilation vocalist Lucy Catananti with guitarist’s Mirko Frontini and Francesco Calligaris, bassist Michele “Mike” Attolino and drummer Carlo Molinara completing the current lineup.
Their first demo … And the Battle Becomes War came in 2007 along with a 2nd stage appearance at the Gods of Metal festival with Ozzy Ozbourne, Korn and Megadeth. In 2008, they played the Metalcamp Festival in Tolmin, Slovenia. Their debut full length Cell XIII arrived in 2009, followed by second effort Artifact Of Annihilation with this year’s The New Chapter set to reign soon.
“The New Chapter” opens with ominous synth-waves, as speculative sounds play in a short stringed saga told in 2 ½ minutes.
Drums hit hard and fast on “I am the Godless Man” pulverizing on opening second. Vocals enter like a loud speaker, screaming to normal volume, raspy but audible, with middle-eastern flavor in the strings. Fast, furious and thrashy with a mid-tune mini drum solo. A bludgeoning opening statement told by old school Testament inspired guitars.
“Till the Sun is no Longer Black” is a maniacal forward march with precession. Like musical artillery in motion with unique guitar soloing from Opeth to Slayer speed, with time signatures changing like musical personalities.
“Walking Dead” plays like the growling feet of hundreds of walkers. Guitars and drums blast away like kingdoms at war. Waves crash on “Before the Dawn (Part 1) morphing into acoustic strings of storytelling. Military drums hit as bass draws the ear in. Guitars sear with dramatic notes as feedback joins the rapid crashing water, reflecting gunfire and bloody aftermath.
“Overlord” (Part II) is a slower tune, churning lyrics and mood with thunderous drums and a nice bass drop. Drums beat the shit out of everything around them as bass and guitars tumble and pummel like machines smashing over defeated enemies and fallen artillery. Drums and guitar notes play like feet dancing on hot coals.
“What Remains (Part III) has unexpected piano keys with bass playing a somber, calm solo with menace. Guitars enter playing with majesty, history and knowledge as if to say, something happened here and this is the sound of remembrance.
“Black Faith” has a deeper somber opening with a battalion army of sound following. Vocals like a military general rolling in with cannons raised. “Dark Echoes” is slower with guitars and vocals crawling on the floor, screaming, nails scratching their way forward. Sanity tinkers with the unstable and unbalanced psyche. Drums hit like a bleeding head that’s repeatedly smashed into the walls of a padded room.
“Bow to Death” adds a thick skinned groove to the metal, with blast beats to mosh to. Subservient hammer fists to the head scream out this signature ass-whipping tune of the disc like a multi-tasking blunt and abrasive barn burner.
“Warface” sounds like a song written in a pit. A face and ear pounding parade by a band betrothed by Death, Slayer, Testament, Venom and Arch Enemy. “Red Blood on White Snow” is a searing serial killers song causing multi-directional headbanging sewing notes into the mind.
The New Chapter is their unique stamp on the future taking classical elements of thrash, speed, anger and brutal heaviness, mixing it their way to perfect contamination.
