Acid Mammoth, Under Acid Hoof: Upon the Tree
Posted in Reviews on December 30th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
Plucked from the crowded amalgam that is the Athens heavy underground scene and signed by Heavy Psych Sounds to become labelmates with the likes of Nebula and Brant Bjork, the Greek four-piece Acid Mammoth offer their second album, Under Acid Hoof, as a deeply referential testament to their self-identification as simply “doom.” Is it really that easy? “Doom?” Almost never, and certainly not in Acid Mammoth‘s case. Doom is a part of it, drawing from a post-Electric Wizard school of riffing that most shows itself on the “Witchcult Today”-esque penultimate track “Jack the Riffer,” but informs the vibe from the outset of opener “Them!” onward, mostly in the tone and lumbering riffs of the father-son guitar team of Chris Babalis, Sr., and Chris Bablis, Jr., the latter of whom also handles vocals.
Joined by bassist Dimosthenis Varikos and drummer Marios Louvaris, both apparently longtime friends of Chris Jr., the familial duo lead the charge across the five-track/35-minute long-player with a rolling sensibility playing toward mostly familiar elements, horror themes, descriptions of Satanic rituals in 9:10 second (and longest) song “Tree of Woe,” which seems to take particular glee in its plod as it presents some of the more nuanced complexities that make Acid Mammoth‘s “doom” tag something of an understatement. More so than in the shorter “Them!” before it, which is a speedier piece that works to set the stage for what’s to come in tone and even gives the bass a well-earned standout moment in the second half — more than an intro, but still very much a lead-in to the rest of the LP — the vocal patterning on “Tree of Woe” reminds of Kadavar, and thereby give an unexpected but still recognizable twist to the familiarity of the guitars’ sound and the air-push of low end added by the bass. Structures throughout are relatively straightforward, but flow well, and that’s something as well one might trace to Monolord, but to my ear rings truer to the methods in the earlier work of fellow Heavy Psych Sounds denizens Alunah.
By the time “Tree of Woe” is finished and as Under Acid Hoof nods its way into the unfolding side A closer/tracklist centerpiece “Tusks of Doom” — also shorter at 5:50, but with a choice hook — and delivers its chorus with a kind of lower-register chanting, that Alunah-circa-White–Hoarhound spirit comes through, despite the fact that instead of singing about the forest or nature worship, Acid Mammoth seem to be writing paeans to the riff itself. So be it. Maybe this is splitting hairs stylistically, but it all adds up to Under Acid Hoof being more than just “doom,” at least in the traditional sense of European Sabbath worshipers or the many acolytes of acts like Reverend Bizarre and The Obsessed. If one wants to consider it on such terms, while their lineup is obviously cross-generational, their sound is definitively next-generation; modern even unto how it plays toward the past as an authentic moment.
What exactly all this means will depend largely on the listener. Time and attention spans are short — though while we’re speaking of modernity, I refuse to accept this as a consequence of the digital age; it’s nothing new — and I suspect for some Under Acid Hoof will linger under (acid) radar as compared to some of the label’s higher-profile fare, at least in the immediate. Add to that the more readily familiar of some of the elements at play, and those who listen quickly en route to the next Bandcamp page might have too easy a time slotting Acid Mammoth in one category or another and moving on. I almost always advise repeat listens over working from a first impression, but especially in this case.
As Acid Mammoth roil their way into side B with “Jack the Riffer,” the darker side of their sound comes to the forefront, still keeping that similar vocal delivery, and even pushing the register somewhat in the pre-lead midsection of the song, giving the already-set course of the album some slight twist. With just two songs as opposed to side A’s three, the second half of Under Acid Hoof is a few minutes shorter than the first, but all the more immersive, playing off that hypnotic riff at the core of its leadoff. At six minutes in, vocals return in “Jack the Riffer” and Acid Mammoth drive the song to its slow, solo-laced crescendo and rumbling finish, giving way to the guitar at the outset of the closing title-track, which is quicker in tempo than “Jack the Riffer” but still holds to the thickness of tone and the marching sensibility brought to the proceedings by Louvaris‘ understated but effective drumming, the lyrics cutting through to create a kind of narrative and declaration of who the band are in the lines, “Darkness shall fall/Heavy shall rise/Yeah/And under acid hoof, I die” (or something similar).
They are not the first band to work with the stylistic aspects they bring to bear, but it’s worth pointing out that they’re not trying to be. There’s zero pretense about what Acid Mammoth are up to on their second record, and that’s something they carry with them from their 2017 self-titled, while at the same time also stripping down their approach to its more essential roots. It’s notable that Under Acid Hoof, at 35 minutes, is some 22 shorter than its 57-minute predecessor, and while much of that might be attributed to the first record’s 18-minute closer, it still speaks to a progression under way in the band’s take. Two of Acid Mammoth‘s tracks topped 13 minutes, none of Under Acid Hoof‘s touch 10, and that feels like a purposeful change in how the songs are constructed.
Likewise a somewhat grimmer turn on the whole that these five songs present, though certainly the debut had its horror influence as well. As to where it might be leading, from the fact that Acid Mammoth lead with riffs, worship volume, and plunder like slow-motion churning madmen, I’d suspect they’re keen to let their sound continue to develop as it will without forcing it in one direction or another, but neither does that mean they’re not cognizant of what they want the material to do. It’s a balance to strike, ultimately, and it’s one they do well with here. That is but one of Under Acid Hoof‘s promising characteristics.
Acid Mammoth, “Them!” official music video
Acid Mammoth on Thee Facebooks
