Album Review: Mass Worship - Mass Worship
Reviewed by Tim Finch
Swedish outfit Mass Worship have been together little over a year, yet find themselves about to release their debut album via the much respected Century Media Records. Having established themselves enough to have garnered such labels attention, the expectation surrounding their first album is high.
They describe themselves as “darkened metal” and alas this gives a preconception if black metal. But as you listen to the album your quickly discover this is anything but black metal.
Album opener ‘Celestial’ is certainly dark, starting with a rinse of bass drums before the main chugging riff kicks in. The sound is haunting, the vocals match it. But to define it in any kind of genre would do the band a disservice. There are hints of hard core, a running foundation of death metal and just a sprinkling of black metal which ultimately gives it that darker feel.
You soon realise that “darkened metal” is a perfect description of the noise they are producing. ‘Spiritual Destitution’ of a similar vein to the opener. The guitar sound is volatile, brutal and extreme, vocally guttural and that bass and drum line... just WOW!
‘Sibylline Divination’ has an almost tribal feel to it. Harking back to Roots era Sepultura with its throbbing drums and vocals not to dissimilar to those of Max Cavalera. But taking darker influences; the sound is unique, and at times breath taking.
Going into this album I had my preconceptions, but they have all been cast aside. With their self titled album Mass Worship provide a completely new take on extreme metal, taking influences from various locations and twisting them into their own brutal offering. This has quickly shot into my top five albums of the year without a doubt.
Mass Worship release their self titled album via Century Media on October 25th.
