When I heard that members of Knut and legendary Swiss tech-grinders Nostromo had formed a new band called Mumakil, I knew I had to hear them. And when their label, Overcome, posted clips on its site that scared the shit out of me every time I visited, I had to track them down. And track them down I did, with probably the most email the label has ever gotten about an upcoming release.
Well, I’m glad I pestered Overcome so much (though they might not feel likewise), as Customized Warfare is a simultaneous kick to the balls and punch to the face (pretty dexterous if you think about it). “Pleasant,” you say in disgust, but we metalheads are a masochistic lot. This is raging, no-bullshit grindcore with little of the technicality that characterized Nostromo. 32 songs blaze by in 37 minutes, with no printed lyrics and only Roman numerals for titles.
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But this isn’t all just “three yards and a cloud of dust” (that’s American football, for all you Europeans). Songs go through half-time, double-time, two-step, thrash, and blastbeat grooves, with vocals ranging from high shrieks down to death growls and pig squeals. The smoothness of execution, variety of material, and quality of the recording suggest mid-career Nasum, which is great considering this band is just starting out. You might want to wear a cup (or other protective gear) before hearing these clips.
As with Nostromo, this might be hard to find outside Europe. You can get this at Overcome – and if you don’t feel like dealing with French, email the label directly.
