MTXS have been grinding hard for the last few years, stunning audiences up and down the country with their gritty and unrelenting brand of hardcore by angrily spitting it straight into their faces. 2019 sees the potency of their venom hit a new high as they release their debut record Ache – 10 tracks of sludgy, dark brilliance.
If you’ve had the pleasure of catching these lads before, you already know that they’re angry. Ache takes that anger to a whole new level, bringing a frighteningly dark backdrop along with it. They’ve never been a band that have struggled to project their weight towards an audience, but this record has a far more sinister undertone than anything that they’ve done before. These songs display a band that have found their sound and know exactly how to craft it into something devastating.
Right from the off, it’s clear that this record means business. Mould wastes no time setting the tone, hurtling dissonant tones and rib shattering chugs towards your ears from every conceivable angle. The pummeling continues with Stain, a groove laden monster sure to cause any static room to burst into action. Silver Skin is a short but sweet slice of brutal brilliance, Liberation is a meaty riot starter, Burn The Baron is a dark and twisted bruiser – the entire record is just wall to wall heaviness. MTXS put their foot firmly on the gas pedal as soon as the record begins, and they don’t let any pressure off the throttle until the final second has played out.
There are a few tracks that stand head and shoulders above the rest – tracks that hit so hard on the first listen that it became impossible not to hit repeat. One of those tracks is Choked. If there was a track on the record that could singlehandedly express the angst and pain within this band, it would be this one. Continuously changing pace, the punches fly in from all angles, keeping you on your toes right up up to the chaotic and disgusting closing roars of the guitars.
Produced by friend and Loathe guitarist Erik Bickerstaffe, the sound is a perfect balance between crisp, clear definition and unpredictable rawness, much like the material that his own band creates. His influence on MTXS is audible, as is the influence of bands like Code Orange, Vein, and Kublai Khan. If you like your hardcore heavy and angry, you will love this record through and through. Ache is an enormous step up for the band, and will undoubtedly bring bigger things their way. If you aren’t already acquainted with these guys, now is the perfect time.
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