Acid Mammoth. In less than a decade, they have established themselves as THE Sabbathian doom band with a Greek twist and quickly earned unanimous support — so much so that we sometimes forget that their first gigs outside their borders date back to the end of 2021 (best Desertfest Antwerp edition ever?). Now the guys are (already!) releasing their fourth album “Supersonic Megafauna Collision” on Heavy Psych Sounds...
When you get a lot of recognition within such a short time frame, isn’t there a risk of disappointing people at some point? How can you not repeat yourself when your sonic DNA is a tribute to such a niche sound and aesthetic? How can you not ask yourself too many questions or take the wrong direction? Acid Mammoth seems to have an obvious yet rare answer: don’t overthink and go for it heads down.
Let’s cut to the chase: “Supersonic Megafauna Collision” is a perfect continuation of the Acid Mammoth narrative. The production was subtly pushed further to give more consistency to the guitars and vocals, which are less reverb-laden and slightly more vulnerable and exposed. Other than that, we remain on familiar ground: Chris Jr still demonstrates this balance of coolness and absolute ease in leading the whole thing, while Chris Sr still treats us with his decisive guitar leads. As for the rhythm section, it remains super heavy and utilitarian by essence.
Above all, the quality of their songwriting really is what hits the mark and makes this album so enjoyable. Each song has this little something that lures us. Just like the dissonant intro of “Garden of Bones”: it stays stuck in your head while being unexpected enough that you can only appreciate the outcome. The acoustic finale was certainly heard before, but it’s so well executed. Likewise, the epic father-and-son guitar harmonies on “Fuzzorgasm (Keep On Screaming)” definitely live up to the song title!
“Atomic Shaman” can almost be considered a speed metal song in Acid Mammoth’s career. The real surprise comes from “One With The Void”, a noisy gothic-like ballad where Chris’ singing is highlighted like never before. Last but not least, “Tusko’s Last Trip” is one of those trademark epic rides to which the band has accustomed us.
Here’s how they make the magic happen again within six tracks and less than 45 minutes, making “Supersonic Megafauna Collision” the very definition of authenticity. Acid Mammoth do what they do (and like) best: crafting great songs. No filler, no post-production trickery, just a few touch-ups here and there for an even more organic and epic result. In a few words: a great Acid Mammoth album.
Last modified: 2 April 2024
