Mayhemic - Toba (2024)

5★

NEED I SAY IT AGAIN – CHILE REIGNS SUPREME. I first heard MAYHEMIC back in 2022 when their newly-released comp The Darkest Age came out. They sounded like a combination of first wave black metal and classic ‘80s Teutonic thrash and by God, did that pull me in immediately. So, naturally, when I saw a teaser announcement for their first full-length, I got real antsy, and on the eve of its release, I got to hear MAYHEMIC fully unleashed. Toba, named after the supervolcano eruptions around 74,000 years ago, is a conceptual album about that very thing. The songs explore lyrical themes of neanderthals getting wiped out, luscious green valleys, and things of that nature. But you wouldn’t really know if you’re just listening to the music. It’s a sonic assault of chaotic riffs and pummeling drumwork, with dueling guitarist/vocalists Noctumbra and Doom each delivering their songs with a signature snarl. Something else I found very cool about this was the solos – they’re very precise and melodic, which isn’t something characteristic of this style of music. Pair that uplifting melodic swing to these otherwise insanely heavy songs and you get an unparalleled feeling of having volcanic ash rain upon you – something I think they were really trying to go for. This album is the very definition of awesome, so go check it out! I mean, seriously. It’s just unfair at this point. Chile, give some other countries a fighting chance, will ya?

FAVORITE TRACKS: “Kollarbone Crushed Neanderthal,” “Valley of the Tundra,” “Olduvai’s Lullaby”

FOR FANS OF: Kreator, Demoniac, Sodom

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Originally published in Aug. '24 (Issue No. 4)