Mutants
Mutants is the sound of three experienced musicians making room for a good time. Mutoid Man bring together Stephen Brodsky on guitar and vocals, Ben Koller on drums and Jeff Matz on bass. Their playing is quick and detailed, but the songs stay close to the direct pleasures of heavy riffs, forceful rhythms and a chorus that lands where it should.
Call of the Void makes that approach clear from the start. It has an immediate vocal hook and enough drive to introduce the album without a long build-up. Brodsky can make the singing melodic while keeping the guitars sharp around it. Koller is particularly important to the balance: his drumming moves through the faster passages with control, adding momentum without turning every gap into a separate display.
The album also knows when to slow down. Broken Glass Ceiling leans into a darker groove, while Siren Song gives its rhythm more space to swagger. Graveyard Love pushes a rough bass sound towards the front, joining punk speed with a heavy rock feel. These changes keep the record lively without breaking away from the power-trio setup.
Unborn and Siphon show the more restless side of the writing. The first makes room for noise and a weighty final riff, while the second sends the guitar through more unusual sounds and rapid turns. Memory Hole is more concerned with a firm, repeated groove. The closing Setting Sun then gives the band a larger melodic finish, keeping the energy up while stretching the song's sense of drama.
Mutants is not quite as wild as that description might suggest. Its cleaner structures and strong choruses can make some passages feel more familiar than the band's earlier material. The dense sound also leaves limited air around the bass and drums, even when the performances have plenty of detail. A less compressed presentation would let those parts breathe more naturally.
Those reservations do little to weaken the main appeal. Mutoid Man fit technical ability into songs that remain easy to follow, and the heavier moments have both character and direction. Mutants is an energetic meeting point between metal, punk and hard rock, with enough melody to bring listeners back after the first rush has passed.
