Could I Really Call this Review Anything but “Flight of the Megasus?”
It?s a new school form of the Heavy in which Megasus traffic. The Providence, RI, four-piece unit, making their debut on 20 Buck Spin with this self-titled effort — originally a digital release and independently pressed to 200 vinyls — riff with a post-High on Fire largess and crash and rumble with the grandiose 21st Century definition of doom. The traditional groove is all but completely absent, but the frantic, chaotic, seemingly unhinged headbang-worthy fury that has come to typify the genre in this decade is present and then some.
Without getting into a debate over whether something must necessarily be played slow to be doom (I?d say no and point to any number of faster songs in the Sabbath and Pentagram catalogs), it?s clear Megasus are drawing more on the modern than the classics for their influences. This doesn?t necessarily have to be a detriment, but it does make the album Megasus easier to pigeonhole, which works against it. And with songs like ?Swords,? ?Paladin vs. Berserker? and ?Iron Mountain,? they?re not exactly breaking new thematic ground.
However, they are falling right into line with this generation of metallers? re-embracing classic metal subject matter: wizardry, mythology, epics, etc. And let?s face it, if we didn?t think that stuff was cool at least on some level, we probably wouldn?t be here in the first place. But, like a lot of what Megasus are doing on this record, it?s been done before. Moments like ?Hexes/Szaadek,? which give Slayer a Lair of the Minotaur-style dirtying up before a tempo switch and some cymbal panning from drummer Brian Gibson, are more satisfying, particularly as regards the performance of vocalist Jason Kendall. The centerpiece track of the total seven, listening to it makes me want to say, ?Yes, do this.?
?Paladin vs. Berserker? gallops expectedly, but ?Red Lottery? has a sludgier groove to the central riff and a megaphone-like effect on Kendall?s vocals. Guitarist Ryan Lesser and bassist Paul Lyons are mostly in step, but Lyons in particular stands high in the mix, adding a satisfying thickness to this track and Megasus as a whole. Again, these guys aren?t the first to do it, but it helps their sound. As the album closes with the raucous ?Iron Mountain,? Lesser?s riffing once again takes center stage without a solo to offset it, but ultimately proves an intriguing end to an easily listenable record.
There?s no particular warmth to the sound that makes me think Megasus would be best lent to vinyl over CD or whatever format the kids are downloading these days, but for seekers of the heavy couture, these Rhode Islanders hit all their marks. You might not listen to it every day for the next three years, but chances are you?ll get enough of a kick to warrant checking them out. An interesting bit of probably irrelevant trivia to end on: All four members of Megasus work for Harmonix, the video game company behind Guitar Hero and Rock Band. So there?s that.
Tags: 20 Buck Spin, Megasus, Providence, Rhode Island
The drummer, Brian Gibson, is also the bassist for Providence’s Lightning Bolt.
Jason used to sing for the Amazing Royal Crowns as well. Good dude. I’ll have to check this out.