Swiss grind metallers Mumakil are a band I’ve been following for a while. From their little known debut LP Customized Warfare, to follow up Behold the Failure, these guys have been blasting through the underground with a style of grind they call “blastcore” (because yeah that’s all we need is yet another sub-genre). But categories aside, that level of talent has brought them to their debut release on Relapse, “Flies Will Starve”.

I wanted to like this album after really digging their other two, I really did, but this one just didn’t do it for me. After 24 tracks and nearly 36 minutes, I honestly found myself bored to tears. The songs run together in one big maelstrom, and it all goes by with literally nothing to grab onto. I spun this album at least 7-8 times, finding and digging for something, but it just never came. I even went back and listened to Behold the Failure, and they sound EXACTLY the same; like they are literally the b-sides from the studio session for that album.

Now you might be hollering “it’s grind… what did you want sweeps and melodic harmonies?” No, but ask a band like Rotten Sound how they have managed to keep the genre fresh and you can see the contrast here. Or Pig Destroyer. It can be done, but in this case unfortunately it hasn’t been. Vocalist Thomas has an authoritative bark and the production is solid, but the guitar work is beyond mundane and I find this whole output sorely lacking in any of the grit and nastiness that defines the best grind bands. If you’re short on time and are curious then pick out one song from this album, and based on your personal tastes, it will be either really good or pretty lame. If you like the one you picked then give the whole thing a spin. If not, then I wouldn’t waste your time with the rest as it all sounds the same.

[Visit the band's website]

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