I confess I grabbed this one for review because Mangled Carpenter is such a fine name for a band. And then I realised we’d actually featured them before!
I’m glad I picked it up, though. It’s a wonderfully heavy slab of extreme metal which stays just on my side of the “extreme fence”. I’m not Ricky so some bands just push it a bit too far for my liking, but I do enjoy band that’s both brutal and keeps its tongue firmly in cheek. Mangled Carpenter have (pun not intended but I’ll take it) nailed it.
The six tracks are quite eclectic and the production does seem to vary across them, though this may not reflect on the final release – I’m reviewing a streamed version. Opener “Between Blood and Silence” is arguably the most “in your face” and heaviest on here. No holds barred with the opening salvo, but despite the furious blastbeats and distortion the lyrics are surprisingly still clear. The track is very high in treble, though, which is made all the more apparent when “Carved” kicks in and the bass suddenly appears, adding a much heavier feel to proceedings. Again, though, the final release may be more balanced.
“The Absence of Light” absolutely shreds from the get-go and is almost as eviscerating as the opening song, but it’s “Down, Down, to Goblin Town” that sold me on the EP. If Wind Rose did extreme metal, this would be it. Hell, give the guys a call and ask them to cover it. An absolute foot-stomping, head-banging classic.
You can check out the single, “Terminate Damnation”, below and on Spotify and it gives a good indication of what to expect across the release while actually (IMHO) not being the best song on it. Having said that, the riffs and groove… killer. “Short, Sharp, Shock” is exactly that at two (brutal, violent) minutes in length, wrapping up the EP nicely. Probably in greaseproof paper, tied with string, and still letting the blood drip out.
Between Blood And Silence isn’t a “major” release in the sense that it’s a big band putting it out, but it’s a brilliant example of what the underground is producing these days. Somehow managing to mix visceral brutality with fun, Mangled Carpenter have done a great job.
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Between Blood And Silence is out on July 17th
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