Maggot Heart : "HUNGER"

 

This band is fronted by former Grave Pleasures guitarist Linnea Olsson. It is a more lo-fi stripped down affair than Grave Pleasures, that owes more to the punk side of the post-punk equation. I like how they are darker, but the production does not really do the overall sound any favors. Sure the guitar is dialed in but every thing else is more chaotic. The vocals have attitude , but very limited range and no sense of the melodic hooks that make Grave Pleasures so compelling, making me think they did not contribute much to the song writing in that band. 

"LBD" has more of a 70s feel, than the 80s which normally comes to mind when you think of this genre. There is a little more to draw you in melodically on this one, but it has an impressive metallic drive to it that reminds me of In Solitude. They begin to find their groove here, so now can they keep it?  "Archer" is a mixed bag as I am always open to hear band's expand their melodic horizons, I am not sure bringing in the piano is the best way, as it brings out Olsson's weaknesses as a singer, rather than supplement her voice. I think if they stick to the punk side of things, provides a better arena for their style of singing. This is accomplished on 'This Shadow" though I do not think it's as solid of a song as "LBD". 

Sometimes even the punk thing works better than others . If Mat Mcnerney was handling vocals for the same songs, there would be a world of difference, as his voice has more focus and command ,where things are more uncertain here. "Concrete Soup" allows me to hear more of a thrashing Voivod influence to the guitar playing which is cool, but I am not sure if the vocals really work with what is going on here. I can hear where they are going with "Parasite" and appreciate the emotion placed into the performance, but it could use more direction from the vocals.  While the vocals are the weak spot and this does not come close to touching what her former band does, I will give this an 8, as I like the dark mood created, along with the unhinged expression of the songs, there is some fine tuning , but this has potential from here for sure, and I think the more metallic moments are some of the album's best that they would be better for leaning into those next time around. This album drops September 26th on Rapid Eye Records.