Album Review: Maul - In The Jaws of Bereavement
Reviewed by Sam Jones
Following my discovery of Maul through 2022’s Seraphic Punishment, Maul became a band I wished to keep an eye out for and with a new album set for release early October this year, I knew this upcoming release needed my attention. Formed in 2017 out of North Dakota, United States, Maul’s early days are rooted with Demos and EPs, Splits and Singles, all before they finally released that aforementioned first album in 2022. Already signed on to Redefining Darkness Records no doubt due to the output Maul had since been churning out, the band are now found on 20 Buck Spin’s illustrious roster and through this new signing Maul have prepped for us their second full length work: In The Jaws Of Bereavement. Having already released an EP last year through 20 Buck Spin titled Desecration And Enchantment, the label are no doubt excited and ready for their latest signing to draw more fans to Maul and to themselves. Primed for an October 4th release dates it won’t be long now until we see Maul reap the just rewards of their efforts. Let’s peel back the curtains and discern what this record has in store for us.
Considering how Maul have established themselves as an up and coming death metal act, their new record is incredibly well ordered. That’s not to say their songwriting doesn’t hit with impact because Maul certainly do, but you get the impression they wanted to go into this record with ideas of structure and placement very keenly in mind. Listening to the band play you get a firm idea of where every single minute element of their songwriting is and what part it’s playing in the greater whole of the record; this isn’t like records where everything is thrown at you in one singular launch and you’re given no means of deciphering where everything is. Maul order, label and nearly line up each characteristic their songwriting purports so nothing can possibly be lost on you. It’s honestly nice to discover, and to note that Maul have put extra time into ensuring their record is extremely accessible and therefore digestible, especially for newcomers to the extreme metal subgenre. In The Jaws Of Bereavement strikes with all the strength you’d want to hear on record, but it’s not prepared to do so to the detriment of poor structural planning.
Then there’s the production too. Other than the band’s own consideration or vocal input, there is utterly nothing else occurring on record to keep you engaged with their own performance. No audio clips, no other immersive elements etc if the band themselves aren’t performing it then it won’t be found herein. As a result it’s given Maul executive control over what goes into their record’s soundscape and therefore, by extent, what audiences will hear too. Experiencing this record was very easy since I knew there was nothing unnecessary on record to keep me from digesting the album as the band intended it to be. The production quality is also pretty high as well as guitar riffs, vocals and tempo surround and assail us with no issue; it’s certainly an especially polished and clean sounding album, maybe even too clean for some people as I’m certain some may be turned off by how devoid of grit and texture the record can feel at times.
However, by tuning out every single possible thing that might interrupt our attention from what the band are giving us, it’s effectively painted over the record’s background with a clean slate so the band have full control of what goes in or behind their performance. Therefore it’s why the bass feels so prominent within their soundscape since there isn’t much else going on behind them to interfere with their performance. The blank canvas the record plays against is a perfect easel by which the bass can project its tones upon; remove the impact of the bass and this record really would be a striking a flat surface. Within the technical context of this album, Maul needed the bass to do its job here and the bass needed to be this big and commanding force so you always knew it was being implemented. With that said, I’m glad the band didn’t overdo it on the bass whether that be instrumental or in the mixing since that would overshadow the riffs and the kind of soundscape the band were vying for. It’s evident Maul didn’t want this to be some deafening opus that crushes us mercilessly otherwise they’d have amplified the bass ten times over. The bass, like the rest of the album, plays it straight and to the point.
The fact that this record isn’t too long in spite of its ten track selection is likely a good quality for the record to possess since I think people would start to feel the lack of much else behind the band’s performance after a while. It needs reminding that the songwriting and strength the band deliver on is excellent, and the vocals are able to dart back and forth between a gruff style and much more guttural performance so there’s plenty happening throughout each track that comes. It’s also worth noting this isn’t the fastest album either for most of the pacing is spent at a steady rate and rare is the momentum that suddenly spikes. The band get into a track, play what they feel is appropriate to what they want to include, then move on to the next. There isn’t additional fanfare placed on any track nor do the band try and exert special gravitas upon their own presence whatsoever; it’s an album of music written for the purpose of entertainment. That’s it; no earth shattering ideas: nothing revolutionary being implemented; just solid death metal that gets to the point and everything that doesn’t aid Maul in reaching that goal in mind doesn’t apply here since it’s not going to be included.
In conclusion, In The Jaws Of Bereavement is a quality work of death metal that is as stripped down as death metal can get really, however I do feel like it needed some more time in the mixing process to give the record some more life in its background. The actual band’s performance is great and there’s bought wrong with the songwriting as you’d find across other works of death metal this year, yet I think it’s too polished and smooth for its own good in places. There needed to be something else happening behind the band’s own performance whether that be added momentum, a sense of grit or hardened surfaces etc. The record itself is greatly entertaining but it can feel like only half the record is putting in the work so there’s a whole side to the album that isn’t being utilised. But on the whole, for what the band bring here, In The Jaws Of Bereavement is an enjoyable time and, in some way, may serve as a decent gateway album for people curious to dive into extreme metal.
