Man Made Machine Made Man
Metalville, 2019
8/10
Listen to Man Made Machine Made Man
Though you might think Germany’s Critical Mess are a new outfit, they’ve actually existed in some form since 2012, though their core line up wasn’t solidified until 2016. On this, their sophomore album, the metal heads bring old school death metal, hardcore/punk and even some current metallic ideas to the affair, resulting in a brutal display of riffs, breakdowns and frontwoman Britta Gortz’s intense vocal performance.
After the atmospheric opening of “Revolution 5” that builds into chugging guitars and guttural vocals, “Echo” follows with an incendiary rhythm section and a blistering pace of throaty metal.
The band stick to their abrasive formula all the way through, and the first single, “Cut The Cord”, puts thundering percussion on display in a furious anthem, and the booming vocals and apocalyptic setting of “Demise” complements the mayhem.
Near the end, Critical Mess injects some hardcore punch into the pit friendly “No Gods”, and the album ends on the dark, hard hitting “Prequel”, where strategic classic metal guitar licks are present.
A listen that will appeal to fans of thrash metal, death metal and even the harsher side of hardcore, these Germans are a band to keep an eye on, as they’re clearly getting better with each subsequent album.
Travels well with: Walls Of Blood- Imperium; Rezet- Deal With It!