US based death metal quartet Molder have been generating nasty, grimy, horror themed, old school death metal since 2017. Hell-bent on ferocious intensity, disgusting imagery and themes worthy of the best (and worst) B-side horror movies, the band are back with their third studio album Catastrophic Reconfiguration, due to be released on 8th November via Prosthetic Records.
Comparing Catastrophic Reconfiguration to previous records, vocalist and guitarist Aaren Pantke explains what was different this time round:
“You can still expect this to be a Molder record. Just musically and sonically better than the last! We simply wanted a shorter, nastier, and more professional sounding record than what we’ve done before.”
The record kicks things off with the title track; a galloping onslaught of brutal riffs and heavy basslines. The blast-beats are raw and furious whilst the vocals are venomous, screaming with an impassioned rage and ferocity. It descends into a stomping, mid-tempo beat that wouldn’t be misplaced on an Obituary record until a soaring guitar solo takes over. “Pulped” begins with a ridiculously dense bassline followed by crushing riffage and a despairing cry. There is a fevered intensity about this track which charges forward like an unhinged berserker. “Overdue Burial” is the shortest track of the record but it packs a serious punch. At just over 2 minutes long, the riffs are muscular, the solos are screaming and the blast beats are insane. “Frothing” continues in the same vein as its predecessors but changes tempo throughout between rampaging fury, swinging stomps and gurgling growls slowly ascending from a putrid swamp; it’s lovely stuff, really.
“Masked In Mold” changes the pace slightly with an ominous single guitar riff which echoes from the void accompanied by shimmering drum symbols before it explodes into a Slayer-esque swirling void of evil riffs and thunderous drums. The intensity however quickens at the halfway point of the track as it gallops forward with furious energy. Despite “Bursted Innards” potentially causing an uproar amongst grammatical scholars, this track is most definitely a stand-out moment on the record. A trudging, knuckle-dragging assault full of crushing riffs and basslines with an undertone of groove elements. “Rapidly Exsanguinated” is just pure rage. A cacophony of savage, gory violence which is both chaotic yet somehow enjoyable.
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As the record descends into its closing chapters, “Corpse Copulation” certainly presents a vivid and disturbing image however the music itself perfectly symbolises that uneasiness. Heavy, rampaging and groovy all in equal measure with gargling vocals which scream and growl. “Brain Boil” twists and turns with intricate riffs and forever changing tempos accompanied by flurries of guitar solos. “Nothing Left To Ooze” pretty much sums up the entirety of the record. This concluding track does not lose traction in the slightest. Complete with agonising screams, blistering blast-beats, furious guitarwork and heavy basslines, this is old-school death metal at its absolute finest.
Stomping, groove-infused old school death metal with a power and rage akin to a thousand undead armies. Molder’s Catastrophic Reconfiguration is set to rip your face clean off like any self-respecting zombie should.
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Catastrophic Reconfiguration is out on November 8th via Prosthetic Records.
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