We have a whole list of album reviews and new artist introductions to bring you, but it doesn't seem right to continue with any of them, until we have skipped back and at least written a few words on the excellent Mammút album 'Kinder Versions' which was released earlier in the summer. I first listened whilst on a family vacation, and came back to read a whole host of positive reviews in bigger publications, but its still worth documenting on our own little website, as the album is a pretty sure entry into many Albums of the Year lists.
So for the uninitiated this is Mammút's 4th album following on from previous releases 'Mammút', 'Karkari' and then 'Komdu til mín svarta systir' (Come to me, my dark sister), which was released 4 years ago. However this is their 1st release in English, which whilst a shame to an extent that they felt they had to stop writing in their native language, does I guess expose them to a wider International market.
'Kinder Versions' is a beast of an album, which starts with the epic track 'We Tried Love', opening with booming bass and drums, whilst vocalist Kata's expressive vocals (with more than a hint of Bjork) are the centrepiece of a complex track, which has so much going on within it. 'Kinder Versions' is almost as long at 6 minutes, and builds with a wonderful intensity, whilst 'The Moon Will Never Turn On Me' and 'Breathe on Me', both more instantly likeable tracks which were released as pre-album singles. But the highlight is the outstanding 'Walls', a euphoric track with the guitars at their peak, and the vocals delivered with real passion.
This is a complex, brutal album, written very much 'on the edge', with a sound which is deliberately uneasy and at times startling, but I have no doubt that this will allow them at least some of the international recognition they deserve. We eagerly await their UK tour in November where they play a host of great small venues, including The Louisiana in Bristol, and then visit us here in Manchester at Gullivers.
Nordic Music Review 8 /10