Thursday 1 November 2018

Mad God - Grotesque and Inexorable (Album Review)


Release date: November 02nd 2018. Label: Self Released. Format: CD/DD

Dead Now – S/T – Tracklisting

1.Haunting the Graves of the Unhallowed
2.The DeZalze Horror
3.I Created God
4.The Crawling Chaos
5.No Prayers, No Fires
6.The Hunt

Members

Tim Harbour - Vocals and Guitar
Pat Stephansen - Drums
Evert Snyman - Bass

Review

Grotesque and Inexorable is the deeply disturbing and heavy new album from South African Doom/Sludge Rockers – MAD GOD. This album is perhaps my first true exposure to the South African Doom/Sludge Metal scene and it doesn’t disappoint.

MAD GOD are inspired by bands such as Ufomammut, Electric Wizard, CONAN and even traditional heavy metal sounds in places. As the band add a classic heavy metal sound to their gloomy atmosphere. The album is heavily inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft and this allows the band to go absolutely crazy with the lyrical content held on the album.

The album is seedy and very progressive throughout with most of the songs running between 7 minutes to 9 minutes in length. The music has elements of dirty Fuzz based rock that slightly out of place when you first listen to the album. Especially on the opening song Haunting the Graves of the Unhallowed, though the mood soon settles down and you’re treated to some highly progressive Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal sounds. The music can be very slow-paced at times but that only draws you into Mad God’s dark gloomy world.

If you’re a fan of Electric Wizard and Church Of Misery then the opening stages of the album will have you hooked from the start. The opening songs Haunting the Graves of the Unhallowed and The DeZaize Horror are the strongest songs held on the album. Maybe not the loudest but perhaps where Mad God make the best creative decisions on the album.

I’m not overly familiar with the works of H.P. Lovecraft, so I’m basing this review of my enjoyment of the music itself and I can say that Mad God excel on creating a dark and highly atmospheric album. Mad God do experiment with their sound on the later stages of the album. As you can hear different musical elements coming into play and dominating proceedings as well.

Other good songs to check out are: The Crawling Cross, “No Prayers, No Fires” and The Hunt. It’s perhaps on the final two songs where Mad God embrace their Doom Metal persona even more. As the mood is very sinister and that’s down to the fantastic vocals and gloomy lyrics the band have written for these two songs.

The production is very good indeed and has quite a vintage classic horror feel to it. As the sound is quite grainy and raw at times. This allows the album to be quite atmospheric and I wasn’t expecting that. So top-marks for the albums production. Overall, Grotesque and Inexorable is wonderfully creepy and weird sounding album that sees Mad God play to their absolute strengths.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Warren and Plug Music Agency. Grotesque and Inexorable will be available to buy on CD/DD from November 2nd 2018.

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