Mutation III: Dark Black constantly teeters on the edge between noisy grindcore spectacle and, well … Just noise. Thankfully, it's mostly the former. Mutation’s third record is a wildly energetic and surprisingly creative effort, even if its unapologetic abrasiveness is likely to alienate all but the most hardened of listeners.
Creative? Yes. Subtle? Absolutely not. "Authenticity," which tears the album open with frothing, almost mindless aggression, illustrates this best and is appropriately one of the record's more memorable tracks. Psychotic screaming blends with blistering guitar riffs and drum beats to create a pummeling wall of sound that nearly veers into indecipherable territory on several occasions.
Despite this, each time the song frenzied core threatens to overwhelm, Mutation shifts gears into punky chanting, vigorous choruses or harsh industrial noise. The brutality never really lets up — indeed, the overall record's downtime can be measured in seconds — but the extensive stylistic variations do a good deal to stave off the worst of the fatigue.
Although descriptors such as "experimental" and "creative" aren't often used to identify material that is this single-mindedly ferocious, they genuinely work here. There's nothing out there quite like Mutation III: Dark Black, and though that's certainly a lofty statement, it hardly matters if the actual musicianship isn't up to par. Thankfully, that’s not the case: While sheer intensity is undoubtedly emphasized over technicality and nuance, Mutation's crushing guitar work and absurdly manic vocals do more than their fair share to dissuade the notion that the band's rampant experimentation is a mere gimmick.
While a cursory listen might suggest the polar opposite, one of Mutation III: Dark Black strongest traits is its remarkable hints of melody. There's a swath of traditional riffing, strong beats and shockingly infectious vocal lines peppered generously throughout the record and their presence serves as a fantastic compliment to the otherwise unerring madness.
Tracks such as “Devolution” and “Irritant” are as acutely violent as the rest of the record, but their usual viciousness is greatly supplemented by soaring clean singing and discernible harmonies. The latter’s repeated chorus is far catchier than its excessive vulgarity — this is stupid fun stuff, but the record’s lyrics are about as boneheaded as it gets — implies, and the song’s legitimately poppy structure somehow meshes perfectly with its grizzly heaviness.
“Devolution” similarly defies expectations and is easily the record’s finest piece. The track is carried by particularly bombastic instrumentation and epic singing and even features some kooky Dream Theater-esque soloing in its outro.
That said, it’s no coincidence that each of the aforementioned songs are from the first half of the record. Mutation III: Dark Black’s standout material is a genuinely explosive extravaganza, but the same can’t be said for the album as a whole. Aside from “Hate,” another excellent cut that perfectly balances melody with blistering hostility, you’d be hard-pressed to differentiate anything in the record’s latter half.
Admittedly, the weaker performances are never dull enough to actively offend, but the jumbled mishmash of uninspired shouting and directionless riffing that dominate tracks such as “Skint,” “Victim” and “Dogs” constitute a worrying percentage of the album. This isn’t a long record, which makes the number of inconsistencies all-the-more troubling.
There are also concerns to be had with Mutation III: Dark Black’s longevity. Though highlights such as “Devolution” and “Irritant” will unquestionably be worth spinning for some time, they’re the exceptions to the rule. The record’s uniqueness is one of its best selling points, but once that wears thin, there isn’t much that will inspire repeated listens of the entire album a few months down the road. There's very much an issue of style over substance, and while the album is certainly competent, it’s never so astounding to stand heads and shoulders above Mutation’s grind contemporaries.
That’s all discouraging, but shouldn't dissuade prospective listeners. Mutation III: Dark Black is far from consistent, but when it clicks, it’s positively savage. There is plenty here to thoroughly enjoy, and though Mutation’s latest might not stand the test of time, while it’s here, the record is still a hell of an entertaining ride.
Score: 6.5/10
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXLP7nvFXjo[/youtube]
