THE MASS (City Of Dis) CD
Some releases are so damn hot and energetic what makes it difficult to describe them with words. In this case it's the debut from THE MASS, hailing from Oakland, California, featuring Tyler Cox on drums from heavy noise psych-rockers Totimoshi. Imagine Ornette Coleman would jam together with early Circle Jerks, while Kerry King throws in a few metal riffs for good measure and Shellac coming up with some clever song structures. Well, enough superflous name-dropping here, because this is only a very vague description of the intelligent explosive energy THE MASS are setting free. When you don't listen very close to "City Of Dis", it seems to be chaotic and confusing, but after a while it's clear that their songs are amazing cohesive and tight structured. While others would lose their direction within this jungle of different sounds, this band created a musical network with the same accuracy like a spider. Every musical part having equal rights to each other, but despite of all jazz-influences THE MASS are deeply rooted in hardcore and metal, without being both of it. Sounds crazy, but that's what "City Of Dis" simply is.
Matt Waters is not only an exciting vocalist who's singing covers a wildly eclectic range of styles, but he's also a great sax-player, and I wouldn't be surprised if he also involved into a jazz band. But the rest of the gang is also top-notch, what is really necessary for this kind of music. Usually, I would try to describe some of the here included eight songs, but every track is charged with an amount of impossible cool breaks, turns and styles so that I can only fail with this plan. Another big plus is THE MASS' sense of humour like in "Major Strip" with mad vocal parts in best Zappa/Patton vein or the band's good taste for quieter melodic jazzy parts, followed by the next impulsive eruption. And when a band entitled a song "We Enslaved Elves to Build Our Death Machine" , it's a link to their poetic talent. Exactly this track also contains some short black metal-like parts - unbelievable, but true! At least, check out the changes in "Marca Dos Invernos" between massive heaviness and Coltrane-like jazz elements, and you are aware of the fact that THE MASS are a hell of a band! If you're an open-minded listener with a good taste for well-crafted extreme music, than you have to buy "City Of Dis". While the original release has been released by Monotreme Records, I like to thank Crucial Blast for this second edition that includes video footage and a very tasteful digipack design. And now I'm waiting for an European tour!
(KK)