Reviews: Chaos Reigns, Hidden Mothers, Mandroïd Of Krypton, Big Muff Brigade (Reviews By GC, Matt Bladen, Liam Williams & Rich Piva)

Chaos Reigns - Sweet Violence (Self Released) [GC]

If you look back into the history of hardcore, it is littered with EP’s some of the biggest names started this way and some are essential listening, some disappear and never reach their full potential but either way it’s the perfect way to introduce yourself to your audience! So, with that in mind, Chaos Reigns are a ‘chaotic hardcore punk/metal’ group from London, and this is their latest EP Sweet Violence.

False Gods gets us underway and it’s a dissonant and grating sound that balances enough negativity with some remarkably beautiful sections but the core of this is indeed some absolutely wonderful hardcore punk, its invigorating and urgent in all the best ways and is a real statement to start with, they then follow is up with Graveyard Shift which has a Gallows meets Glassjaw kind of sound and its fantastically unhinged and unpredictable and that’s exactly what I want from this type of band to just lay it all out on the line and show me what they are capable of and Chaos Reigns are doing a great job so far! 

Violent Delights doesn’t slow down for second and is a whirlwind of chunky and jagged guitars that explode into some hectic but ultimately controlled drumming violence and midway it gets all tech metal-y is another nice turn that all sounds a bit like if early Comeback Kid decided to go djent, a wonderful and batshit crazy song that sticks in the mind. Snakes_Branches has a stop start, staccato rhythm and the verses are more paired back which should really effect the way it hits but it really doesn’t and shows that amidst all the madness you can just write pure hardcore punk track and it will not sound out of place or hold anything back and for me the Gallows comparison really stands on this track, and I never want me comparing bands to other bands sound negative because here its not its just showing what a high standard they should be held to! 

Sins Of Success is the most ‘metal’ song of the whole EP and it blends in superbly to the furious and relentless punk and it is a joy to listen to because it shows that when a band who knows what they are doing decides to mix things up it’s as close to perfect as you can get really! And just like that we get the massive 7:49 closing track The Lotus which is almost as long as the rest of the EP and here we get a complete U-turn and we enter almost post-metal territory but there is never too long to wait before you get that shot of punk energy needed and its an interesting wat to change things up BUT, its also a bit of a long winded way to end what has been a wild ride and its just a bit of a underwhelming ending!?

I thoroughly enjoyed this EP, and I believe that Chaos Reigns have a big future ahead of them, if they keep evolving and mixing their sound up then who knows what they are capable of!? I would have preferred the last track to have maybe not have been on this EP as it was just that little bit too different and broke the rhythm and pace up but other than that no complaints here, this is a fantastic listen. 9/10

Hidden Mothers - Erosion/Avulsion (Church Road Records) [Matt Bladen]

Angst and anger delivered with a progressive edge Hidden Mothers present their debut album Erosion/Avulsion. The Sheffield band have been on a somewhat meteoric rise within the last few years despite being still early in their career they have released an EP and stormed the UK live scene with a full headline tour and festival shows at ArcTanGent and Portals festival.

With their debut album they look to define their already impressive legacy doing so with a musical approach that is experimental but emotive, take a track such as Death Curl, it switches between gruff troubadour cleans over building atmospherics into sludgy heaviness with emo screams, but the haunting trem picking sitting in the background. It's a sound that's big and bold but rooted in passion and catharsis.

What separates them from many post hardcore acts out there, is that they have a progressive streak that sees them never take the straight line path. Rather they will give a jazzy break here, an echoed post rock shimmer there (both on Still Sickness) as the poignancy of tracks such as the instrumental Caton Green segue into the building The Grey.

I noticed a lot of At The Drive or Glassing in Hidden Mothers' debut album, virtuoso instrumentals and diverse singing/screams, a dark maudlin record that has it's own take on hardcore/screamo. 8/10

Mandroïd Of Krypton – Cosmic Sarcophagus (MTAF Records) [Liam Williams]

Here we have Cosmic Sarcophagus, the third album from Sci-fi Prog Metal band Mandroïd Of Krypton. This was a very fun, whacky album to listen to. It combines sounds of thrash, prog and even hints of death metal into 9 tracks of out of this world madness.

The album begins with Deep Resistance and the band starts things off with a real bang! It starts with a proper thrash metal sound, then gets faster and heavier with more of a death metal sound. Things get a bit trippy for the bridge section, before getting fast and heavy again for the end of the track. Next we have The Waltz Of Death, which has another thrashy intro. The bridge section is very proggy. Some absolutely crazy drumming and back once more with the proggy part for the outro. Track 3 is the title track, it has a very fuzzy sounding guitar intro. The only way I can really describe the sound of this track is trippy thrash. Really good singing, the singers clean vocals sound like a perfect blend of Bruce Dickinson and Ozzy Osbourne. That goes for all the tracks, not just this one.

Mountain Of Fear is very progressive but still keeps that thrash sound. Drag Drag Sisyphus is one of my favourites. It has a nice dirty doom/sludge intro and keeps changing things up throughout the song, keeping you on your toes and unable to expect what comes next! Fallen Angels also has some nice fuzzy sounding guitars and bass in the intro. Quite a bouncy riff after the first verse and then a very heavy but still quite bouncy riff after the second verse which is repeated later in the track.

Up next, we have Asteroid Brigade. This song starts with some very interesting chords in the intro. It has a really cool bridge section and another really good part which I enjoyed for the outro. Veterans Of The Cosmic War has a nice main riff. I really like the instrumental section after the main riff finishes the second time. My favourite part of this song is the combo of clean and harsh vocals towards the end. Then, last but not least, we have Land Of Ghosts. This is my least favourite track on the album. It’s got quite a slow intro which takes a while to build up. It does speed up and the second verse is even quite bouncy before speeding up again about halfway through until the end of the track.

The mix is a little rough in some parts, but to me, it gives it a bit of a garage rock vibe which I quite enjoyed once I got into it. I do think that a better mix and a bit more effort with the overall production could have really improved the quality of this album and allow the band to get a bit more experimental and really make things trippy, but for what it is, I will say that they’ve done a pretty good job! 9/10

Big Muff Brigade - Pi (Argonauta Records) [Rich Piva]

Big Muff Brigade is not a great name, especially for a band with some seriously great fuzzy stoner rock hat should be taken more seriously than their name indicates. I am not sure of the name translates to something different in their native Valle De Trápaga Trapagaran, Spain, but these songs deserve a better moniker, given how cool the seven stoner/grunge racks on their new record, Pi, are. (If I'm going to be 'that guy' the fuzz comes from a Big Muff pedal so it's a pretty good name - Ed). Even the title Get Them Wrong is very AIC adjacent, as is the sound of the opening track, especially on the second half of the song. I really dig the stoner grunge combination here as well as the tempo change. 

The band brings their riffs on Pi, like on Lost In A Canyon, which sounds like it is right out of the Pacific Northwest, except for maybe the Spanish accent, which makes it even better. Love the guitar tone on this one too. Pierced By The Spear slows the tempo down and stoners the place up a bit and throws riff after riff at you as well as a nice solo. These guys remind me a bit of Fire Down Below (big compliment), for proof check out Dead Inside. 

Another great riff opens up Let It Go, which has a bit of Fu Manchu to it while continuing that Fire Down Below comparison. Is Terre Haute about the city in Indiana? It doesn’t matter, because it rips. Same with the closer, Seasonal Affective Disorder, that smacks you repeatedly with riff after riff in under four minutes, evoking some Soundgarden vibes along the way.

Pi is a really good stoner/grunge record in 2024. Big Muff Brigade is not going to break down any barriers or cover new ground, but if you are looking for some solid heavy rock with riffs and some sweet fuzz check out Pi. Now about that band name…7/10