Release Date: January 29th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD
Party Off - Track Listing:
1.Crash
2.Sleep
3.Doom Party
4.Call Of The Void
Review
Party Off is the new EP from Post-Metal trio MAD ACT who incorporate Sludge, Doom and Stoner sounds into the mix. There’s a crushing Industrial beat that’s added very early on into the mix which gives the EP quite a Digital Hardcore feel which reminds me of The Mad Capsule Markets at times before MAD ACT settles for a harsh Sludge/Post-Metal groove.
Opening track Crash is quite punishing with it’s endless shift of Industrial dynamics which could even see a diverse influence such as NIN appearing within the progressive Sludge/Post-Metal environments. The band then switched to a heavier and meatier style of Stoner Metal that blurs the landscape of riff-centric grooves that is quite intense and psychedelic at times. MAD ACT delve into Experimental creative waters for a chaotic style of music that matches the lo-fi and violent production values that Party Off ultimately contains.
Second track Sleep settles for a more straightforward Psychedelic Doom/Stoner Rock opening with plenty of fuzzy passages that soon transforms into a sublime Post-Sludge vibe with little traces of Industrial beats becoming BIGGER and more PRIMAL without losing the focus of the solid foundations of the Sludge/Doom Metal template that serves MAD ACT superbly well on this track alone. This is the standout track on the EP as you begin to see the true MAD ACT starting to form and fully appear. There’s riffs galore within Sleep and with a dedicated sense of rhythm and melody, the full nine minutes quickly goes by. That’s not to say that MAD ACT don’t venture into heavier areas of music as they do but it’s the Psychedelic energy contained within this track that kept me fully and emotionally invested throughout.
Third track Doom Party returns to the harsh Post-Metal/Industrial landscape with minimal Ambient noises appearing and MAD ACT playing at a deliberately slow tempo for the first few moments of the song. It’s quite bleak and opaque at times but the small flashes of Post-Doom and Post-Stoner energy make the journey worthwhile before exploding into a heavier style of Sludge/Post-Metal beats. The song is still cautiously slow but with a menacing purpose. The drumming is simply superb and allows the rest of the music to grow naturally. The track definitely earns it’s “DOOM” aspect of its title as MAD ACT fall under the “DOES IT DOOM” category and this track most definitely does that.
The final track Call Of The Void has similar themes and sounds to the standout second track Sleep but with a heavier dependence on the gloomy Post-Whatever sounds that appeared within the other two tracks. It’s quite melancholic at times with the Psychedelic sounds once again allowing MAD ACT to conjure up and play a different style of Instrumental Rock/Metal.
Party On is an excellent and altogether different style of Instrumental Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal with MAD ACT keeping the listener on the edge of their seats from start to finish. Hopefully the band won’t leave it another six years to release their next record. As this is a must have release for fans of Instrumental Rock/Metal music who like their music with extra BITE and AGGRESSION.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to MAD ACT for the promo.
Party Off Fortress will be available to buy on DD from Friday 29th January 2025.
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