Fuck, sorry for always talking about this, but we are where we are, you know? It’s a shit era, a horrifying timeline, the most frustrating and infuriating time to be alive, and what outlet do we really have to release all of that tension? Hey, I have a blog where most of my intros are about how awful it is to be alive right now, so I guess it helps.

California-based crushers Mordeo say on their Bandcamp that they’re here to “present the ugliness of the present moment” by turning their anger into a force of artistic destruction and a communal experience among creators. The band—vocalist/noise maker Brandon, guitarists Colby and Bryan, bassist Jake, drummer Dave—delivers a self-titled debut record that feels like a mammoth stomping across the land. It’s sludgy, fiery, and quaking, as the eight tracks and 42 minutes of chaos tear through with a reckless abandon, trying to help us forget where we are with maximum, devastating power.

“Bring Back the Fear” is a barnstorming open, burying with a heavy stoner vibe, pouring lava over mountains. Shrieks rip as the playing barrels at you like a train, simmering and mashing, guitars flowing into 9:22-long “Fight Your Friends,” as good a song title as you’re bound to find this year. It mauls, blinding wails hammering, drums slamming into your skull, then turning spacey before … Western?! Yeah. The leads intensify the vibes from there, fast and relentless attacks dizzying, beastly growls flattening, the echo flowing directly into “The Narcissist.” Noise spreads like wildfire, blistering as the howls crush, blowing and digging into the earth. Shrieks clobber as the terrain gets muddier, frying as sounds gurgle and fade into the shadows. “No More Chances” has guitars burning, grisly growls, and a slow-driving tempo that still feels forceful as hell. Then the track opens and explodes, the vocals menacing, the tempo piledriving, mud caking as anguished sentiment and metallic strangulation wrestle.

“Interlude” provides a breather, noise glowing as grains of sand scrape on glass, bleeding into oblivion. “Betrayal” burns in place, teasing a full detonation before delivering one. Yells and shrieks take turn peeling away strips of your psyche while the ferocious pace keeps picking up steam. Scream boil as the intensity crests, moving into “Coward” where the bass openly clobbers. The playing rips, pressure building slowly before exploding at its center point. Howls smear over thick humidity, the blows raining down unmercifully, finally giving way to piercing interference. Closer “Profit for Prophets (Swamp Justice)” starts with guitars slinking, the power pummeling, and screams bursting into the night. The rampage strikes with ferocity as the guitars scald, leaving your flesh exposed and stinging as acoustics wash in and spread the proverbial salve.

Mordeo’s self-titled debut is a motherfucker of an album, a brawler that breaks through the door, swinging wildly before considering who’s standing in the way. This sludgy beast lets you have a breather between protracted beatings, but it’s only to let you feel how sore your chest and lungs are when gasping. That might be a bit of an exaggeration, but not by much.

For more on the band, go here: https://mordeo.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album go here: https://hypaethralrecords.bandcamp.com/album/mordeo

Or here: https://foreverneverends.bigcartel.com/product/mordeo-lp-pre-order

Or here: https://shoverec.bandcamp.com/album/s-t-16

For more on the label, go here: https://hypaethralrecords.bandcamp.com/

And here: https://foreverneverendsrecords.bandcamp.com/

And here: https://shoverec.bandcamp.com/